First Five Nebraska is an initiative of Early Futures Partnership
First Five Nebraska is an initiative of Early Futures Partnership
As public school educators and administrators, we deal directly with the outcomes of children’s earliest learning experiences. All too often, it’s alarmingly easy for our teachers to tell which students are likely to succeed or struggle in our classrooms within the first days of kindergarten.
We know that a significant number of Nebraska’s children arrive at kindergarten unprepared to learn. In fact, more than 64,000 children ages birth-5 are at risk of failing in school. Of these, about 30,000 are infants and toddlers who are not receiving the kinds of early experiences known to support strong brain development during the first three years of life.
This week President Obama signed S.1086, the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 2014, into law. The bill, as described in a previous blogpost, reauthorizes funds through fiscal year 2020 for child care investments, and includes high-quality early learning as a requisite component.
The Nebraska Legislature’s Education Committee is touring a Sixpence program in Broken Bow today to learn more about the innovative public-private partnership before holding a public hearing on its visioning process for a statewide strategic plan for education as mandated by LB1103.
As a County Attorney, it’s my job to do everything possible to protect the public. Putting people behind bars who commit crimes is one way I do that. But I know from my personal experiences in the courtroom that we can’t simply arrest, prosecute and incarcerate our way out of our crime problems. We have to implement strategies that keep people from turning to crime in the first place.
Tell us about yourself — how did you get started with your child care business? I began U.N.I.Q.U.E. Childcare and Family Services Family Home in 1997 in the North Omaha community. The mission and vision of our child care is: Using Necessary Involvement to provide Quality Unlimited Education to children and their families. We currently serve eight children and are licensed for 10.
Providing child care can be challenging, especially when children come from varied economic backgrounds and home environments. Research shows that children’s experiences during their first five years profoundly affect social, emotional and cognitive skill formation, and healthy life outcomes.
Nebraska's 2014 legislative session adjourned Sine Die on April 17. During the short session, the Legislature reviewed hundreds of bills, many of them dealing with contentious issues like Medicaid expansion, prison reform and tax reform.
When kids get to be kids—explore their environment, interact with their parents and caregivers, and learn through play—they flourish with curiosity and happiness. Like the little boy in the picture who is peeking for ducks, flowers and maybe even a frog as he explores the National Garden at the U.S. Capitol, children enjoy and grow in environments that are safe and full of enriching educational opportunities.
Nebraska would save $25,419 in victim, court and incarceration costs for every child enrolled in full-day, center-based early childhood education programs, says the University of Nebraska‒Lincoln’s Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families and Schools (CYFS).
Taking turns, following instructions, getting along with others and dealing with distractions—all of these are components of an important set of skills that help children succeed in school and later become independent, self-sufficient adults.
It is in Nebraska’s best interest to ensure that our children enter kindergarten with the experience they need to become successful students. A child’s first five years are critically important for healthy brain and social/emotional development, and First Five Nebraska is committed to supporting legislation that helps children get the start they need to grow into confident, capable, productive citizens.