Gov. Heineman Names Todd Reckling as DHHS
Director of Children & Family Services

(Lincoln, Neb.) Gov. Dave Heineman announced his appointment of Todd Reckling of Lincoln to serve as Director of the Division of Children and Family Services within the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). Reckling will begin April 2. He takes over for Todd Landry, who is returning to the private sector next month.

“Todd’s experience makes him uniquely qualified to serve in this role,” Gov. Heineman said. “He has been involved in improving the lives of children and families throughout his career and he has played a significant role in reforming our child welfare system.”

Reckling, 42, currently serves as the policy section administrator, responsible for policy development and implementation of all programs and services within the Division of Children and Family Services. As Director, he will manage a division charged with administering the state’s child welfare programs and services, economic assistance and child support enforcement programs, as well as overseeing the state’s regional service areas.

Reckling said, “It is a dream come true for me to have started my career as a front-line child protective services worker and now serve as the Director. I know firsthand the critical decisions our staff are asked to make every day and I truly admire their commitment and dedication to the children and families we serve. It is an incredible honor to serve Governor Heineman and the people of Nebraska. I look forward to the addressing challenges that lie ahead.”

In 1992, Reckling started with DHHS in northeast Nebraska as a protection and safety worker. He later became a juvenile services officer and in 1999 became a protection and safety supervisor. In 2001, Reckling took on statewide responsibilities for the in-home services unit of DHHS. He became the administrator of the Office of Protection and Safety in 2004, managing all aspects of child welfare and juvenile services at the state level.

“Todd brings valuable experience and a historical perspective to this position,” Gov. Heineman said. “He has risen through the ranks and has been a key player in our recent reform activities. I have confidence that Todd will be able to hit the ground running and continue the initiatives in child welfare and economic assistance that started under Todd Landry. 

In the last few years, the division has seen success with child welfare reform. On Jan. 31, there were 6,365 state wards, the lowest number since October 2003. Of those, 4,227 children were in out-of-home care, the lowest since the state began tracking data in 2001.

Focusing on achieving permanent placements for state wards has resulted in a significant increase in adoptions. Last year, there were 572 adoptions, up from 297 in 2003. Nebraska has received federal adoption incentive bonus three years in a row and may also be eligible for 2008.

The division’s child support program is a national leader, ranking fifth in the collection of current child support, and the division is in the midst of modernizing the delivery of economic assistance programs through ACCESSNebraska.

Reckling graduated from Creighton University in 1989 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and received a master’s in public administration from the University of Nebraska at Omaha in 2006.

His salary will be $115,000.