Nebraska’s statewide community of early childhood policy advocates just got larger. This past week, the 2021-22 class of the Nebraska Early Childhood Policy Leadership Academy (PLA) kicked off in Kearney after a one-year pause in the program due to the onset of...
Editor's Note: After 10 years with First Five Nebraska, Becky Veak retired in August. She leaves us with these final thoughts. Thank you, Becky! After 14 years with Nebraska Children and Families Foundation and First Five Nebraska, I leave this incredible workplace to...
If your school district has not yet invited public input on the distribution of its forthcoming Emergency and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds, you may still have an opportunity to advocate using them to promote...
We’re excited to announce the launch of First Five Nebraska’s new website. Featuring a fully responsive look and enhanced user experience, the new site was designed to educate and engage Nebraskans around critical early childhood news and policies in our state. “For...
Editor’s Note: Becky Veak retired at the end of August after a career advancing public policy that ranged from the Nebraska Legislature to Capitol Hill and state government to becoming the founding director of First Five Nebraska. We offer her our heartfelt thank you...
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to highlight the fragility of Nebraska’s early childhood system. Generating adequate funding to support programs is challenging but essential to keeping Nebraskans working and businesses thriving. While federal emergency funds have...
Note: The School Readiness Tax Credit program ended with the 2021 tax year. First Five Nebraska is exploring legislation to reinstate the tax credits to provide these important financial supports for child care providers. Our Step-by-Step Guides can help you plan your...
Note: The School Readiness Tax Credit program ended with the 2021 tax year. First Five Nebraska is exploring legislation to reinstate the tax credits to provide these important financial supports for child care providers. Last year, First Five Nebraska worked in close...
The first session of the 107th Nebraska Legislature adjourned sine die May 27. During the scheduled 90-day session, state senators debated and passed critical pieces of legislation, including a biennium budget, a Social Security tax cut and a bill to temporarily...
More Nebraska families with young children will benefit from the state’s Child Care Subsidy program as a result of LB485, which Governor Pete Ricketts signed into law yesterday. Introduced by State Senator Wendy DeBoer, LB485 loosens the state’s household income...
First Five Nebraska is pleased to announce the launch of Class 3 of the Early Childhood Policy Leadership Academy (PLA) this September. The PLA is a non-partisan initiative designed to help citizen-leaders develop their skills to advocate for public policies that...
Nebraska Early Childhood Collaborative is proud to present Elevate in early June, an annual business summit that brings business training and resources to child care providers across Nebraska. In its third year, NECC has again made this event virtual to accommodate...