Thank you to state lawmakers for advancing LB304 to the second of three rounds of debate! We also thank State Senator Wendy DeBoer for her leadership and commitment to keeping child care assistance within reach of Nebraska families and we thank our partners and...
Category: Policy & Legislation
Policy Leadership Academy Class Celebrates Graduation, Shared Commitment to Community Change
On Wednesday, March 11, the seventh cohort of the Policy Leadership Academy presented their capstone projects and celebrated their accomplishments with a graduation banquet. This year’s class was a lesson in the power of representation, intentionality and pursuit of a...
Celebrate National CACFP Week With Us!
It's National CACFP Week, a celebration sponsored by the National CACFP Association to raise awareness around the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). The program goal is to combat hunger and promote a healthy diet and...
Child Care Assistance Legislation Advances to the Floor
Last week brought significant positive developments for LB304. First Five Nebraska thanks members of the Nebraska Health and Human Services Committee for advancing LB304 to the floor, and the Appropriations Committee for providing funding and folding the language into...
Legislature Enters Full-Day Debate as Budget Shortfall Deepens
The Nebraska Legislature has completed day 35 of its 60-day session and has concluded its public hearings on all 545 bills introduced this session. With all priority bills set, we have a clearer picture of what will be occupying time on the legislative floor for the...
Legislature Nears Midpoint as Budget Debate Intensifies
With Day 26 of Nebraska’s legislative session behind us, we are moving closer to the halfway point of this 60-day session. This week will further clarify the remaining floor agenda, with deadlines taking place for selection of senator and committee priority bills and...
Bill Introductions Wrap Up as Lawmakers Shift Focus to Hearings, Budget Talks
Bill introductions have concluded in the Nebraska Legislature with 545 new bills and Constitutional amendments introduced. Legislative hearings are underway, and over the upcoming weeks, every new bill introduced will receive a hearing prior to the beginning...
State Senators Convene the 2026 Nebraska Legislature
State lawmakers opened their 2026 session January 7 for the short, 60-day, final session of the 109th Nebraska Legislature. It also is the final session for 10 term-limited senators and two who have indicated they will not run for re-election. Senator Fred Meyer will...
New CCDF Proposed Rule: What it Does and How to Make an Online Comment
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...
Nebraska Department of Education to hold a hearing on Rule 11 changes
The Nebraska Department of Education (NDE) will hold a hearing on draft revisions for Rule 11 on October 15 at 11 a.m. CT. Known as Rule 11, Title 92, Nebraska Administrative Code, Chapter 11 applies to prekindergarten programs established by public schools for...
State Senator Teresa Ibach honored with Nebraska Early Childhood Policy Champion Award
State Senator Teresa Ibach (District 44) is the recipient of the Nebraska Early Childhood Policy Champion Award, presented by First Five Nebraska during the Thriving Children, Families and Communities conference on September 16. The award honors Senator Ibach’s...
Welcome Class 7 of Nebraska’s Early Childhood Policy Leadership Academy
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...











