The One Big Beautiful Bill Act poses a significant threat to Medicaid coverage for thousands of Nebraskans. Learn to determine what’s fact and what’s fiction in claims that the bill will clean up fraud and abuse in Medicaid.
Category: Policy & Legislation
2025 Nebraska Legislature: Key wins for early childhood policy amid ongoing challenges
The first session of the 109th Nebraska Legislature adjourned sine die June 2, concluding on the 89th day of the scheduled 90-day session. Despite a significant budget shortfall, state senators introduced more than 700 bills. The fiscal climate made it especially...
Listening to providers: Improving the School Readiness Tax Credit application experience
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...
Applications open soon: Join the Policy Leadership Academy and become a catalyst for change
Are you passionate about shaping public policy and creating lasting change in your community? The Nebraska Early Childhood Policy Leadership Academy (PLA), a premier leadership development program, is excited to announce that applications for the 2025-26 cohort will...
Legislative update on early childhood, maternal and child health bills
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...
LB22 will allow home visiting programs to reach more new parents
Kelly Mackling is clinical nurse manager at the Visiting Nurse Association in Omaha. She testified before the Nebraska Legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee in support of LB22, State Senator George Dungan's bill to allow home visiting programs to bill...
Building a stronger future: Nebraska’s Policy Leadership Academy completes 2024-25 program
Nebraska’s premier early childhood leadership initiative, the Early Childhood Policy Leadership Academy (PLA), recently celebrated the completion of its 2024-25 program in Columbus. This milestone marks another step forward in strengthening early childhood and...
Every response matters: Child Care and School Readiness Tax Credit surveys
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...
Home visiting can be a lifeline for families
Dez Brandt is program manager of Healthy Families America home visiting program in the Panhandle Public Health District. She testified before the Nebraska Legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee in support of LB104, State Senator Jane Raybould's bill...
LB41 increases maternal testing to address rise of babies born with syphilis
Dr. Ann Anderson Berry is a faculty member of the University of Nebraska Medical Center and Medical Director of the Nebraska Perinatal Quality Improvement Collaborative (NPQIC). She testified before the Nebraska Legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee on...
Nebraska’s refundable child care tax credit reaches $15 million cap within seven weeks
The full $15 million reserved by the State of Nebraska for the refundable Child Care Tax Credit has been reserved within just seven weeks of the application period opening in January. Parents and legal guardians of young children have requested more than $19.3 million...
Policy Leadership Academy Class 6 advocates for maternal health and child care at the Nebraska Capitol
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...