History
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Gregg and Lisa Nicklas became foster parents in December 1980 and within a year had served seven foster children in their home. The following September, Christian Heritage opened its first group home for boys. A second home was opened to care for girls in January of 1985. The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services licensed Christian Heritage and referred children in need of help, hope and a home. Christian Heritage has provided a home for literally thousands of Nebraska's children.
In early 1987, Christian Heritage received a child-placing license and began providing foster care in private homes.
In 1998, central Nebraska was facing a need for additional residential programs and the Department of Health and Human Services issued a Request for Proposal for two new children's homes. Christian Heritage responded and was selected. The ministry's first capital campaign was implemented to raise $1.2 million. God faithfully provided. Fourteen acres were purchased and two children's homes and an office building were constructed without incurring debt--a testimony to the faithfulness of God.
Christian Heritage was selected again by the Department in 2001 to open two new homes for children in Lancaster County. Nebraska's Governor and Mrs. Mike Johanns served as honorary co-chairs of a $2.2 million Caring for Kids capital campaign to raise the funds to acquire 45 acres at 148th and Old Cheney, construct two 5,000-square-foot homes and a 10,000-square-foot office and family training center. Again God provided.
In 2004 a $1.2 million Homes of Hope capital campaign was initiated to construct two additional children's homes at 148th and Old Cheney. Governor Dave Heineman and his wife, Sally Ganem, served as honorary co-chairs. The funds were again received and the homes were constructed free from long-term debt.
God has always been faithful in providing so that children who are desperately in need of hope can receive the compassionate care of Christians and experience of the love of Christ.
Foster care services were expanded into Omaha in 2002 and into central Nebraska in 2007. In each service area, we are honored to have competent, professional Christians serving children and families.
In 2007, we became intentional in determining why, according to the Child Welfare League of America, Nebraska continued to lead the nation in the number of children, per capita, in the foster care system. We determined the major contributing factor to children entering the foster care system to be fatherlessness. Consequently, we launched a Fatherhood Initiative to promote father involvement. We began hosting an annual Nebraska Father of the Year award and Celebration of Fatherhood luncheon. We promote fatherhood through our website and public service announcements on an ongoing basis.
We hosted a Leadership Summit on Fatherhood in 2008, which resulted in our being asked by the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services to work with incarcerated dads to teach them parenting skills and help prepare them to reunite with their children upon their release. The Destination…Dad™ program was created to assist these fathers and to restore families.
In 2009, the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services implemented major child welfare reform. They transitioned in-home preventative services, foster care and all out-of-home services to the private sector. For the first time in our thirty years, we are contracting with private lead agencies instead of the Department in eastern, southeast and central Nebraska. In late 2009, new staff members were employed to begin providing in-home services to work with families in an effort to prevent children from being placed out-of-home.
Thirty years of serving children. Thirty years of seeing the faithfulness of God in the transformation of lives. Thirty years of having the privilege of working with faithful followers of Christ.
Paul wrote, "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them" (Ephesians 2:10).