Blog
FFN Staff to Testify at Interim Study Hearings This Week
FFN policy staff will testify at four hearings for interim studies this week. They are among the seven studies we're working on with state senators this year. Interim studies allow senators to explore topics they're interested in, and often lead to legislation. As...
Strong Communities Begin with Engaged Citizens: Your Step-by-Step Guide to Voting in Nebraska
Chances are, you have thoughts and opinions on the laws of the land: what they do, how they’re enforced, what they mean for the future. The act of voting brings Nebraskans together to use the rights we have as citizens to shape the laws that govern us and the people...
Federal Budget Process: Fast-Tracking Legislation Through Reconciliation
This is the second in a series of blog posts on the federal budget process and how Congress funds early childhood programs. Read the first blog post: Federal Budget Process: A Guide for Early Childhood Advocates Earlier this month, Senate Republicans scrapped plans...
Nebraska Children Need Access to Play Therapy
Many young children who experience trauma may find it difficult to communicate their experiences through traditional talk therapy. For these children, play therapy can play an important role. That is why State Senator John Fredrickson introduced LR382 during this...
Federal Officials Announce Proposed Changes to Head Start
On August 6, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced the most significant Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on Head Start Program Performance Standards in its decades-long history. The NPRM is the first stage in a long process—one that can take...
Home Visiting Legislation Creates Positive Results for Parents, Kids
Investing in children’s lives during their earliest years helps them build the foundation for all future learning, development, health and academic achievement. One proven way to support families is through evidence-based home visiting programs. These programs pair...
FFN Announces 2026-27 Nebraska Early Childhood Policy Leadership Academy Class
First Five Nebraska has announced the newest members of the Nebraska Early Childhood Policy Leadership Academy (PLA), who will participate in the 2026–27 program beginning in October and concluding in March 2027. First Five Nebraska, a founding initiative of Early...
Federal Budget Process: A Guide for Early Childhood Advocates
This is the first in a series of blog posts on the federal budget process and how Congress funds early childhood programs. As First Five Nebraska continues to move into early childhood policy work at the federal level, we’ve developed this overview of the federal...
Medicaid Work Requirements are in Effect in Nebraska—Learn How to Protect Your Coverage
Last July, President Trump signed H.R. 1 into law, making significant changes to Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and other social service programs. Among the many changes in this new law were work requirements for certain Medicaid...
A Bipartisan Win for Nebraska Families: Making Child Care Assistance Permanent
Nebraskans deserve the best from their elected officials. They expect us to listen, to deliberate with respect, to work together. Sometimes we fall short, but more than once this session, we got it right. On January 8, I stood united with many of my colleagues in the...
FFN’s New Affordability Calculator Shows How Much Child Care Costs Across the State
This blog post was originally published as an op-ed in the Nebraska Examiner. One of the most common questions First Five Nebraska (FFN) receives from policymakers and community leaders is “What’s the average cost of child care in Nebraska?” The short answer: more...
Nebraska Early Childhood Advocates Oppose Rolling Back Head Start Teacher Pay and Benefits
On May 12, the federal Office of Head Start published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) proposing to rescind 2024 Head Start teacher wage regulations. The regulations required creation of wage scales and progress toward pay parity by 2031, with Head Start...