Blog
WAGE$ Nebraska helps retain child care workers, boost quality of care
The quality of early care and education a child receives is directly linked to teacher quality and compensation. In Nebraska, many early educators earn less than $15/hour and would like the opportunity to build skills to improve the quality of their care. The Child...
LB75 data collection needed to address maternal health disparities in Nebraska
Nyomi Thompson is the Policy and Advocacy Manager at I Be Black Girl and focuses on uplifting birth justice and positive Black maternal health outcomes. She’s a Nebraska transplant, but has grown to love the state, and strives to improve the lives of the Black...
LB318 helps preserve Nebraska’s workforce advantage
NOTE: LB318 has been amended into LB754 as AM906 Diane Temme Stinton is owner and CEO of TMCO based in Lincoln. She testified before the Nebraska Legislature’s Revenue Committee in support of LB318 on behalf of the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce, Lincoln Chamber of...
LB318 eases financial burden for parents, child care providers
UPDATE: LB318 has been incorporated into LB754 as AM906. Now more than ever, we know how heavily our state relies upon high-quality, affordable and accessible child care. Working parents depend upon it for the financial stability of their families. Employers depend...
Early childhood bills to watch in the Nebraska Legislature
State senators introduced 812 bills in the first 10 days of this year’s legislative session, the highest number since 2001. First Five Nebraska has nine priority bills this year, and is following nearly 70 other Nebraska early childhood bills that could impact young...
LB75 will yield data to help reduce health crises during childbirth
Chad Abresch testified before the Nebraska Legislature’s HHS Committee in support of LB75, which allows the state Maternal Mortality Review team to review critical incidents during labor and delivery that threaten mother’s lives in the hope they can provide recommendations for prevention.
First Five Nebraska’s 2023 legislative priorities
Bill introduction in the Nebraska Legislature has concluded, and state senators introduced 812 bills during this first session of the two-year biennium. Each bill will be referred to a committee and receive a public hearing, and then may be advanced for debate by the...
108th Nebraska Legislature convenes
The 90-day first session of the 108th Nebraska Legislature convened January 4 with 15 newly elected state senators, 10 re-elected and 1 appointed senator.
Sara Brady joins First Five Nebraska as Data Analyst
We welcome Dr. Sara Brady to First Five Nebraska as Data Analyst. She pivoted into policy research after 10 years in academia and research consulting. In her previous roles, Sara trained countless students in rigorous quantitative methods and data analysis and...
Home visiting strengthens the well-being of Nebraska families, children
State Senator Wendy DeBoer, District 10, introduced LR367, an interim study examining home visiting for Nebraska families, during the 2022 legislative session. She testified on LR367 at a hearing before the Nebraska Legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee on...
Policy Leadership Academy: Influencing early childhood policy at the local level
This year’s Policy Leadership Academy (PLA) Class 4 gathered in Hastings on November 16 for their second workshop of the 2022-2023 session. First Five Nebraska’s non-partisan PLA program trains and empowers citizen advocates to work with policymakers at all...
Mitchell Clark joins First Five Nebraska
Mitchell Clark joined First Five Nebraska (FFN) this month as Policy Advisor. He comes to FFN from the Nebraska Legislature, where he served most recently as legislative aide to State Senator John Stinner, District 48, and research analyst for the Appropriations...