Blog
Governor Pillen proclaims October Head Start Awareness Month
Jill Bomberger spoke at Governor Pillen's proclamation ceremony recognizing Head Start's 60 anniversary and designating October as Head Start Awareness Month I remember one neighbor who said, “Head Start saved my life.” She came to Head Start during a crisis, in need...
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...
First Five Nebraska Releases Statement on Federal Government Shutdown
First Five Nebraska is monitoring the government shutdown for any impact on child care and early learning programs. It is important to understand that states have multiple funding streams and flexibility in the timing for spending funds. Therefore, services are...
Grassroots advocates share real-world strategies for community change at Thriving Children conference
The 2025 Thriving Children, Families, and Communities Conference in Kearney was a resounding success, bringing together nearly 500 diverse participants—from child care providers to business leaders and policy advocates. Hosted by the Community for Kids team, this...
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...
Comment period is open for Nebraska Dept. of Education’s Rule 11
The Nebraska Department of Education has opened the comment period for draft revisions to Title 92, Nebraska Administrative Code, Chapter 11 also know as Rule 11. Rule 11 applies to prekindergarten programs established by public schools for children from birth to age...
Nebraska’s new child care subsidy rates: What providers need to know
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...
Child care providers—you might have unclaimed dollars
A lot of Nebraskans have no idea that the State Treasurer's Office keeps track of unclaimed property for individuals and organizations—including refunds, uncashed checks, security deposits and other items. There are many Nebraska child care providers among those with...
Myths and facts about Medicaid cuts
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.
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...