Blog
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...
PLA alumni, elementary school principals to team up
I had the privilege of meeting in Kearney recently with the Nebraska Association of Elementary School Principals’ (NAESP) leadership cohort. Kristine Luebbe, director of Programs & Partnerships at the Nebraska Department of Education and I have been working to...
2022-23 Policy Leadership Academy kicks off in Broken Bow
“It’s about long-term momentum.” It takes a lot to give young children the best possible start in life. It takes cohesive, resilient families who are prepared to address children’s earliest developmental needs. It takes quality early childhood services and supports to...
FFN testifies at hearings for interim studies LR266, LR378
First Five Nebraska’s Data and Policy Researcher Dr. Katie Bass testified at two hearings before the Nebraska Legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee on Oct. 7. The hearings were for interim study resolutions LR266 and LR378, both introduced by State Senator...
Federal MIECHV reauthorization bill is introduced
Extensive research has shown us that children’s earliest experiences build the foundation that affects them for the rest of their lives. Parents are their children’s first and best caregivers and teachers during these early years, but they sometimes struggle with...
Celebrate We Care for Kids Week with us!
September 26 through October 2 is We Care for Kids Week, a statewide celebration to raise awareness for quality early childhood education and build support for early childhood educators. It’s an opportunity to inform, motivate and engage Nebraskans across the state....
Black Hills Energy strengthens child care programs through its corporate foundation
An accessible, affordable child care system is critical to keeping Nebraska’s families working, businesses growing and communities thriving. Our Investing in Child Care series highlights how Nebraska employers are championing early childhood care and education...
New calculator shows how child care costs affect families
At First Five Nebraska, we are often asked, “What does the average Nebraska family pay for child care?” And as much as we’d like to give a single number, the truth is that the child care market is complex, and the price families pay for child care depends on several...