First Five Nebraska is an initiative of Early Futures Partnership
First Five Nebraska is an initiative of Early Futures Partnership
In this short video of a TEDx talk at the University of North Carolina, researcher Kate Gallagher talks about the ground-breaking Abecedarian Project in which low-income children received quality early childhood education. Now, 35 years later, we continue to see how high-quality early care and education changed the life trajectories of the children who participated.
Did you know that numerous studies point specifically to the long-term benefits children receive when their fathers are actively engaged in their care? Research shows that involved fathers relate to their children in ways that produce specific developmental benefits.
The Nebraska Department of Education held a hearing on June 2 to take comments on its revisions to Rule 11. The most significant changes to the Rule related to requirements for prekindergarten programs that provide parent education.
Balancing a wide variety of public interests and with great bipartisan support, the Nebraska Legislature again recognized the critical importance of children’s early years prior to adjourning the 2015 legislative session on May 29. Of preeminent importance to First Five Nebraska is public policy that recognizes the development of the brain in the early years literally shapes the learning capacity for the rest of a child’s life. Here's a summary of our highest priority bills from the 2015 legislative session.
With true bipartisanship, Nebraska senators passed and Governor Ricketts signed legislation to allow partnership between child care providers and schools to help young children receive the kinds of early experiences known to foster cognitive and character skills that lead to success in school and life.
The budget stabilizes future funding for Sixpence, Nebraska’s birth to age 3 early learning fund and increases funding for incentives and bonuses in Step Up to Quality.
Nancy Perez was introduced to Sixpence as a teenager when pregnancy complications forced her to drop out of school. Through Sixpence, she discovered her passion for early chlidhood education, and now is a Sixpence parent educator. She was the first parent educator in Nebraska to receive a perfect score on the HoVRS, which the University of Nebraska Medical Center administers to evaluate parent coaches and they support they give.
As child care professionals, we know that good quality early childhood environments matter.
Next week is Children's Book Week. Reading to children helps increase their vocabulary, comprehension, concentration, memory and curiosity.
Reading poetry to children facilitates their language, cognitive and even physical development, but most of all, it's fun!
High-quality early education is especially advantageous when children start younger and continue longer, says a new report from the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute.
The partnership formed between Sixpence Early Learning Fund and Step Up to Quality in LB547 will mean that more kids at risk will benefit from early care and education programs that meet the rigorous, high-quality standards known to narrow the achievement gap.