How NRPVYC Started

The Nebraska Resource Project for Vulnerable Young Children (NRPVYC) was created by Kelli Hauptman and Jennie Cole-Mossman in 2015 as the successor to the Infant-Toddler Court Improvement Project, a program within the Nebraska Court Improvement Project.

NRPVYC was created out of an awareness of the importance of the early years of a child’s life in physical, mental, and social-emotional development and the juvenile court’s role in ensuring the well-being of children involved in juvenile court cases.

NRPVYC’s initial work involved management of the Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP) trainings, trauma trainings, and direct projects with juvenile court judges and teams, and evaluation of limited juvenile court projects. NRPVYC started with a small team – four full-time staff, one Graduate Research Assistant, and one consultant.

Growing Through the Years

NRPVYC has grown in scope and size through the years.

• In 2016, we expanded our work in reflective practice and established the Nebraska Center on Reflective Practice.
• In 2017, we increased the number of juvenile court projects we were providing evaluation and support for.
• In 2018, we began providing Child-Parent Psychotherapy clinician training on an annual basis.
• In 2019, we hired our first Outreach and Training Specialist.
• In 2020, we began our Parent-Child Interaction Therapy clinician training program using the IoWA-PCIT model.
• In 2021, we began management of the Infant Mental Health Endorsement® program in Nebraska through the Alliance for the Advancement of Infant Mental Health.

By 2022, NRPVYC’s team grew to having 13 staff, two Graduate Research Assistants, and several student workers. Our original motto of “Nurture. Heal. Thrive.” continues to inform our work – all aiming to improve outcomes for at-risk young children in Nebraska.