On March 27, Nebraska Children and Families Foundation hosted partners from across the state at the Nonprofit Hub in Lincoln for a training from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) on the Your Money, Your Goals™ financial empowerment toolkit. The Your Money, Your Goals™ toolkit and resources from CFPB offer front-line staff and agencies a set of proven tools for enhancing their interaction with clients around budgeting, money management, and financial crisis solutions; building relationships with financial institutions, services, and supports; and working toward financial goals.
Nebraska Children was chosen as part of a national cohort of 18 sites across the country who have been provided with this Train-the-Trainer opportunity and who will receive technical assistance from CFPB over the next year on integrating these practices into communities across the state. At last month’s event, 44 individuals were trained as trainers, and these individuals will in turn train front-line staff in communities and work toward embedding the training on the Your Money, Your Goals™ toolkit into regular staff training procedures at their agencies.
Individuals who were trained as trainers represented a wide variety of agencies serving many of the state’s most vulnerable individuals, including unconnected youth currently or previously involved with the child welfare or juvenile justice systems, low-income families, those with disabilities or behavioral health challenges, victims of domestic violence and sex trafficking, veterans, the refugee population, those facing homelessness or experiencing chronic homelessness, those re-entering the community after involvement with the justice system, and those in need of help with accessing or succeeding in education or employment.
In addition, nine young leaders were also trained as trainers. These young leaders have had experience with the foster care and juvenile justice systems, homelessness, and traumatic experiences such as abuse and neglect. As Your Money, Your Goals™ trainers, they will have the opportunity to talk with and train front-line staff as the true experts on the needs of individuals like them, as well as gaining valuable leadership and potential career skills.
The event was a great representation of the interest in the state to lift up youth and families in an effort to prevent poverty and the many effects of poverty on our citizens and communities. While a spectrum of efforts and services may be needed to address the financial stability of our communities, bringing the Your Money, Your Goals™ toolkit to front-line staff and agencies across the state is a promising step toward helping Nebraska rise above a persistent multi-generational cycle of poverty.
Nebraska Children's mission is to maximize the potential of Nebraska’s children, youth, and families through collaboration and community-centered impact.
Growing the Good Life 
[…] for former foster youth. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau created the Your Money, Your Goals toolkit to educate staff members of federal, state, non-profit, and faith-based organizations to […]