First Five Nebraska is an initiative of Early Futures Partnership
First Five Nebraska is an initiative of Early Futures Partnership
In early January 2026, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) at the Department of Health and Human Services published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) aimed at amending the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) regulations, the primary federal...
Where passion meets purpose, and voices become movements It’s the same energy that has always driven change in our great state—the unwavering belief that one voice, joined with another, and another, can reshape the landscape of possibility for Nebraska’s expecting...
Editor's Note: When this blog was published, the Nebraska Child Care Market Rate Survey Report 2025 (MRS) was not publicly available. It has been released since then and First Five Nebraska will provide additional analysis and commentary on the 2025 MRS soon. New...
Over the past several months, First Five Nebraska has collected feedback from child care professionals across the state about their experiences applying for the School Readiness Tax Credit (SRTC). We’ve gathered this input through online surveys, social media...
If you’re reading this blog, chances are child care impacts you, oh wait, child care impacts and touches every Nebraskan. You know this already though, this is why you’re reading First Five Nebraska’s blog. Have you thought specifically about how much our economy...
Child care has finally taken center stage in national conversations. Advocates, community leaders, employers and lawmakers now recognize that child care is not just a family concern—it’s a cornerstone of our economic infrastructure. But after years of raising...
This blog post is being updated as bills move through the legislative process. We are now more than halfway through the legislative session. Hearings have concluded, and full-day floor debate has begun. Speaker Arch, state senators and committees have identified their...
Nebraska’s Child Care Tax Credit and School Readiness Tax Credit provide vital support to families, early childhood professionals, child care programs and communities. But to ensure their long-term success, we need input from those who have applied. Since the launch...
Members of the Nebraska Early Childhood Policy Leadership Academy (PLA) Class 6 spent the day at the Nebraska Capitol February 5th engaging with their State Senators. Their focus? Advocating for key bills and policies that impact maternal health and child care—two...
The 109th legislative session is in full swing! State senators have introduced nearly 730 bills and constitutional amendments. Although the Governor has the authority to introduce legislation at any point during a session, with the hundreds of pieces of legislation...
Campaign Update Tuesday, December 10 1:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. CST Traducción al español disponible debajo de la versión en inglés. Join us on for a special Zoom update on the public awareness campaigns to promote Nebraska's Child Care Tax Credit and School Readiness Tax...
El sistema de cuidado infantil en Nebraska, aunque crucial, enfrenta desafíos significativos para atraer y retener una fuerza laboral calificada. Una de las principales barreras es la falta de una cobertura de salud adecuada. Esto no solo afecta a los profesionales...