For nearly 40 years, Voices for Children in Nebraska has been advocating on behalf of kids across the state, particularly those affected by the carceral justice system and by the child welfare system. Eric Reiter, Advocacy & Community Collaborations Coordinator, shares that the team is intentional about ensuring that youth voices are at the forefront of their programming, so as to not only be voices for children, but including the voices of children to drive the work forward.
A great example of this is the annual Youth Policy & Advocacy Camp, which brings students from Omaha to the Capitol to make their voices heard on legislative policy. Eric says that this program is their favorite part of the year. “Getting to actually be in the room with the kids while they’re putting all the pieces together and seeing that moment where it all locks into place and they’re like, oh, I get it now! It is such a grounding thing for me personally. This always brings me back to why we’re doing it in the first place,” they said. The camp gives students advocacy tools, context on the Nebraska Legislature, and education on how policy processes work. Nebraska Table is proud to support this annual camp alongside other Voices for Children partners like Step Up and Youth 360. This year, each student picked a bill that they wanted to advocate for, which became their focus for the duration of the camp.
This program is not only a great opportunity to get students connected to their actual representatives, but also to see representation of their own communities. By meeting with senators from similar backgrounds, the students get to see what is possible and see themselves in the legislative process.
Voices for Children also powers up the voices of young people through the Nebraska Youth Justice Policy Fellowship, which works with Boys Town students to teach them the ins and outs of policy and how to advocate for themselves and their community. Participants in the program present their own policy proposals. During last fall’s program, a student presented their proposal to end shackling, something they had personally experienced. Senator Rountree heard this presentation and was deeply moved, resulting in the senator and student working together to create LB996, a bill to prohibit the use of shackling and restraints on young people in juvenile detention, coming full circle on bringing youth voices to the table in a powerful way.
Beyond these programs, Voices for Children ensures that youth voices and priorities are heard during the legislative session. Other legislation Voices for Children championed during the 2026 legislative session includes LB304, which eliminates the sunset date for federal childcare subsidies. The rising cost of childcare has made daily life increasingly difficult for Nebraska families, who often have to make major sacrifices for this essential service. LB966 is the Hunger Free Schools Act to ensure that all children can have regular access to food. As Eric explains, if you’re hungry, you’re not able to learn. Another bill from Senator Rountree, LB995, tackled another factor of the juvenile justice system. It would provide the right to counsel for young people in juvenile court. Though this is already required in Lancaster, Douglas, and Sarpy counties, it is not a statewide policy, and for kids in rural areas, trying to find representation is extremely difficult. LB304 and LB966 both passed this session. With such reverberating impacts, Voices for Children aims to continue the conversation across all these issues to help Nebraska kids and families thrive.
Young people in Nebraska are paving the way for a state that can address community needs and make it a good place to grow up. They’re not just passively standing by; they’re active participants in building their future. Eric is proud of the efforts these young leaders put into their advocacy. “It’s always cool to see kids, especially kids who for a lot of different reasons are excluded and marginalized, realize their power. I feel empowered from that, to be able to see the process of, ‘I belong here. This place is for me, too.’”