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1966 Blue Book

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Distribution, and operation of the Home for Children. The State Department of Public Welfare also supervises the county divisions of public welfare in their administration of Aid to the Aged, Blind or Disabled, Aid to Dependent Children, Child Welfare Services, Medical Assistance, and Food Stamp programs.

     The Nebraska Territorial Legislature enacted a general pauper law providing medical care for indigent persons. In substance, this statute was re-enacted when Nebraska became a state. The program has been referred to as pauper aid, general relief, county direct relief, and emergency relief.

     Because of the limited local tax base, state and federal financial participation has become necessary in many of the services which government renders to citizens. Congress enacted the Social Security Act in 1935, part of which provided grant-in-aid funds to states for three categories of needy people, the aged, (65 years of age or older) the blind, (16 years of age or older), and dependent children. In the special session of the Nebraska Legislature in November of 1935, laws were passed to establish three programs of aid-Old Age Assistance, Aid to Dependent Children, and Blind Assistance-with state and federal financial participation. This participation in financing by state and federal units of government did not change the practice of local administration in Nebraska.

     The ceilings on assistance payments have been changed from time to time since 1935 by legislative action. Old Age Assistance payments were limited to thirty dollars a month until 1943, when the maximum was increased to forty dollars a month. In 1946, the maximum was increased to fifty dollars a month; in 1949, to fifty-five dollars a month; in 1952, to sixty dollars a month; in 1953, to sixty-five dollars a month; in 1957, to seventy dollars a month; and in 1963, to seventy-five dollars a month.

     Maximum Blind Asssistance (sic) payments were limited to thirty dollars a month until 1945. The Legislature provided for increased maximums to forty dollars a month in 1945; to fifty dollars a month in 1946; to sixty dollars a month in 1949; to seventy dollars a month in 1953; to eighty dollars a month in 1955; to one hundred dollars a month in 1957; and to one hundred and ten dollars a month in 1963.

     Maximum aid payments to Dependent Children were limited to eighteen dollars a month for a mother and one child, with an additional maximum allowance of twelve dollars a month for each child over the number of one. This ceiling was removed in 1945. In 1953 payments were limited to eighty-five dollars a month for the first child in a family, with maximum allowances of fifteen dollars a month

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for each of the second, third, and fourth children, and an additional allowance of ten dollars a month for each child over the number of four. The present maximums were established by the Legislature in 1959 as follows: one hundred dollars a month for the first child in a family, with maximum allowances of fifteen dollars a month for the second, third, and fourth children, and an additional allowance of ten dollars a month for each child over the number of four.

     On October 1, 1955, a fourth categorical assistance program Aid to the Disabled, was effected for needy persons, 18 to 65 years of age, who were permanently and totally disabled. Maximum Aid to Disabled payments were limited to sixty-five dollars a month until 1961. The Legislature then increased the maximum to seventy dollars a month, and in 1963, to seventy five dollars a month.

     The special session of the 1946 Legislature provided for payments for medical care for Old Age Assistance and Blind Assistance recipients over and above ceilings. In 1947, the Legislature required counties to pay twenty-five per cent of any cost of medical care above the maximum ceilings for Old Age Assistance and Blind Assistance. The counties were also required to pay for twenty-five per cent of medical care in the Aid to Dependent Children program for that part of the payments which exceeded twice the amount of the contribution made by the federal government.

     This overceiling medical care program was repealed effective January 1, 1954. A new overceiling medical care program was established in 1957 and became effective October 1 of that year. It provided for federal, state and county financial participation in the costs of hospitalization and nursing home care for the three categories of Old Age Assistance, Blind Assistance, and Aid to the Disabled. In Aid to Dependent Children, this overceiling medical care program included hospitalization, surgery and dental care. Effective November 1, 1963, payments for all health services furnished to recipients of Aid to Dependent Children, Old Age Assistance, Blind Assistance, and Aid to the Disabled, with a few minor exceptions were paid direct-to-vendor. Counties were required to pay 20% of the cost of all vendor payments for health services.

     The State Legislature during the regular 1963 session established a new program of Medical Assistance for the Aged. This program provides for payment for medical care for those persons over 65 years of age who were able to meet their basic needs but were unable to meet the financial burden of medical needs which occur with advanced age. Eligibility for Medical Assistance for the Aged benefits was based on low income, limited resources, and medical needs. Counties were required to pay 20% of the cost of vendor payments for medical services provided.

     The 1965 Legislature established a single program of Aid to the Aged, Blind, or Disabled which replaces the former programs of Old

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Age Assistance, Blind Assistance and Aid to the Disabled. This program provided financial aid, services, and medical care to needy persons 65 years of age or older, to needy blind persons 16 years of age or older, and to needy disabled persons 18 years of age or older. This program was effected September 1, 1965.

     The 1965 Legislature, effective July 1, 1966, also established a separate medical program for categorically related persons and repealed the program of Medical Assistance for the Aged. Counties are required to pay 20% of the cost of vendor payments for this medical care.

     The State Department of Public Welfare administers the public welfare program of services to children and their families through the County Divisions of Public Welfare with consultation from the State Division of Child Welfare.

     The statutory purpose for the program of services to children and their families is to extend and strengthen on a state-wide basis services to children in need of special care because of dependency, neglect, abuse, delinquency, physical or mental handicap, mental disturbance or mental illness, or their birth out of wedlock. The emphasis of the program is to preserve for the child his own home and family wherever possible and to make the most suitable plan for the child unable to live with his own family. State and federal funds are allocated to the County Divisions of Public Welfare to assist in paying the administrative costs of their program of services to children.

     The State Division of Child Welfare, by statutory authority, licenses the private child care institutions, child placing agencies, and private boarding homes, day care homes, and day care centers for the care of children. The Foster Care Unit of the Division of Child Welfare places and supervises children permanently committed to the custody of the Department of Public Welfare including adoptive placement. The Division of Child Welfare supplies needed statistical material to the Department and to the U. S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare, and uses statistical material obtained from the County Divisions and other sources to determine unmet needs and to plan the program.

     The purchase and distribution of commodities were orginally authorized by the Second Emergency Relief Act, passed by Congress with the approval of the President, May, 1933. Details of the Federal Plan included "the processing and distribution of surplus commodities."

     Nebraska distribution operations were sponsored by various relief administrations from 1933 to January 1, 1937, when the Commodity

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Division became a part of the Department of Assistance and Child Welfare. The current program operates through a contractual agreement executed by the U. S. Department of Agriculture, and the State Department of Public Welfare.

     Distribution consists of foods donated by the U. S. Department of Agriculture from storage stocks of the Commodity Credit Corporation, perishable items declared in surplus by the Secretary of Agriculture, and goods obtained in the open market under the National School Lunch Act.

     Participation in the program is on a voluntary basis and contracts with the Division of Commodity Distribution in Nebraska may be entered into by charitable, non-profit, non-penal, tax free, public and private institutions; by public or private schools of high school grade or under, operating either a national or local school lunch program; by non-profit summer camps of high school age or under; by Indian welfare agencies; or by county public welfare agencies for direct distribution to the needy.

     The plan of operation in Nebraska is on a cooperative basis, sharing to a large extent existing state storage and distribution facilities at no added cost to the state, supplemented by commercial storage paid for by the participating units.

     Nebraska participates in the allocation of federal funds to states under Title V of the Social Security Act "for the purpose of enabling each State to extend and improve ------------ services for locating crippled children, and for providing medical, surgical, corrective, and other services and care, and facilities for diagnosis, hospitalization, and after care for children who are crippled or who are suffering from conditions which lead to crippling".

     The Department of Public Welfare is responsible under Nebraska laws for administering the program of Services for Crippled Children. This responsibility is carried out through the Division of Services for Crippled Children. The program is financed through federal grantin-aid funds and state tax funds.

     Case finding, diagnostic services, treatment and after care are provided in a program built around handicapped problems-orthopedic conditions; rheumatic fever and congenital heart disease; cerebral palsy; oral plastic conditions including cleft lip and cleft palate; eye conditions amenable to surgery; and cystic fibrosis.

     Permanent clinics at the Orthopedic Hospital in Lincoln and at the University Medical School in Omaha, and itinerant clinics in nineteen clinic areas throughout the state are used for diagnostic services. Orthopedic and cerebral palsy patients are treated at the Orthopedic Hospital in Lincoln, Rheumatic fever and congenital heart and cystic

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fibrosis patients are cared for at the University Hospital, Omaha. Oral-plastic patients receive their treatment through two oral-plastic teams, one at Children's Memorial Hospital in Omaha, and the other at the University Dental College in Lincoln. Surgery for Lincoln oral plastic cases is performed at Orthopedic Hospital. Dental and orthodontic care are provided for oral-plastic patients through arrangements with private practitioners. Children with eye conditions amenable to surgery are treated both at Orthopedic Hospital in Lincoln, and the University Hospital in Omaha.

     The State Home for Children receives dependent or neglected children of normal and sound mind under eighteen years of age who have been committed to the Home by a juvenile court of Nebraska. Children may be accepted for care when voluntarily relinquished by their parents or by the mother of a child born out of wedlock.

     At the discretion of the Department of Public Welfare the Home may also receive for temporary care children under eighteen years of age that have not been committed to the Home. In these cases the department requires the parents, guardians or county of residence to pay the cost of care and maintenance. Indigent children of any age that are inmates of another institution, are of sound mind, and are not capable of being helped by medical or surgical treatments, may be transferred to the Home for Children.

     The department affords temporary care and uses special diligence to provide suitable homes for children committed to the Home. It is authorized to place such children in suitable families for adoption or on a written contract during their minority or until they become eighteen years of age.

     Educational and social needs of the children in the Home are given special attention. An approved school is operated by the Home on the premises. Social services are provided for counselling. House parents are employed to live with a limited number of children of each age group.

     The population at the Home for Children has increased the past few years. This is reflection of the new juvenile court system and an increasing awareness of Nebraska regarding needs for children.

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DEPARTMENT OF ROADS

BUREAU OF HIGHWAYS

Total Number of Employees: 2,932.

Publications: Biennial Report, tourist maps, Log of Nebraska Highways, Nebraska Accident Facts, Financial Statements, Maintenance Equipment Reports, "These Are Your Highways," Maintenance Cost Reports, "Road Report," Interstate Highway Tourist Guide, "Do You Know," Series, "Nebraska Department of Roads Standard Specifications for Highway Construction."

     The Legislature in 1895 established the State Board of Irrigation. In 1911, the name of the board was changed to the State Board of Irri-

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