Lutheran Family Services of Nebraska

Lutheran Family Services of Nebraska expresses God's love for all people by providing quality human care services that build and strengthen individual, family, and community life.

With 17 offices across Nebraska and more than 300 dedicated professionals, LFS offers:
Family Preservation Services: Pre- and post-adoption services, foster care and in-home services, kinship care, home study, and pregnancy and maternal health counseling.
Individual and Family Support Services: Case management, crisis intervention, basic needs support, disaster care management, health navigation, access to resources, referrals to community resources, legal immigration services, and interpretation and translation language support.
Economic Empowerment: Supporting families as they pursue self-sufficiency through workforce development, asset-building programs, and career planning.
Education Services: ESL and educational assistance, cultural orientation for newcomers, financial literacy and budgeting, Nurturing Parenting programs, and prevention and early intervention services for expectant mothers and at-risk families.
Children's Behavioral Health: Family support groups, individual and family mental health services.
Adult Behavioral Health: Person-centered, evidence-based therapies to treat mental health and substance use conditions. Includes specialized services for military veterans and their families.
•Integrated Support Services: Healthcare services including medication

Testimonials

LFS is proud to share with you a few of our most heart warming, touching, real life triumphs over this past year, during a time most would agree has been a challenge for many families in the Fremont Community. It is through the generous support of the Fremont community and dedicated staff at LFS that our families prevail!

Susan's Story: Surviving the Flood

2019 was an extremely difficult and stressful time for the Fremont community still in the midst of healing from the flood that devastated and impacted so many. This is the story of Susan, a Single Parent mother of five children:

Susan and her five children were forced to relocate during and after the flood as their home was severely damaged and left uninhabitable. Extensive repairs were needed before the family could move back in. Everything from the sewer, air conditioning, furnace, insulation, and skirting, to the flooring and front porch needed to be replaced. They had to take residence in a hotel for several weeks during the rebuild.

Materials such as insulation, skirting, plywood and flooring were provided to the client through efforts of LFS's Disaster Case Management. Some appliances and furniture were also damaged during the flood, and those items were generously provided by anonymous donors.

Susan and her family continue to this day to work towards their recovery, and LFS will continue be with them every step of the way. This mother of five has expressed her sincerest gratitude towards LFS and the Fremont community, as she believes she was given the necessary support to a speedy recovery.

Jim's Story: Trust restored in a family dealing with addiction.

Because of his alcohol addiction, Jim's family was falling apart. Although on probation and meeting all of the probation requirements, the trust was still broken within the family. Jim came to LFS asking for parenting classes and help with communication within the family; and the family began participating in our Nurturing Parenting Program activities.

In the home there were two children, ages 10 & 14. Together they first established family norms and values, which later led to conversations to establish rules and consequences in the home. As the family began to let go of anger and resentment, they were able to work together to nurture and rebuild that trust.
They went from almost living in two separate houses to a more peaceful existence under the same roof.

Several months have passed, and LFS Lead Program Specialist received the following text from Jim: "Hey Kim, I just wanted to let you know how much I appreciated your help with my family. You were always a kind and generous person, and we're better off because of your work. Thank You."

Heather's Story: A young woman's lesson in life, diversion, & redirection.

"I am very glad that I was lucky enough to receive diversion. It has definitely opened my eyes on many aspects of my life. I have also learned a lot from this situation as well. When I first started diversion, I thought my life was over, and on top of that, it was very upsetting to see how many people that I disappointed. A few months ago, I had lost a very close family member due to a drug addiction. She has three little babies all under the age of five that my family now helps take care of. Although she was addicted, she probably just started with a drink or two.

After doing a lot of thinking, it was so selfish of me to even put myself in that situation. Who knows what could have happened that night...