Editor's Note: State Senator Bob Hallstrom (District 1) introduced Legislative Resolution 296 in the Unicameral this year. The resolution supports reimbursing family child care homes in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) at the higher Tier 1 rate and...
Tag: child care
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...
Comment Submitted in Opposition to Proposed Federal CCDF Rule Changes
In early January, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) at the Department of Health and Human Services requested comments on its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) aimed at amending the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) regulations, the primary...
A day without child care: Nebraska’s economy is on the line
If you’re reading this blog, chances are child care impacts you, oh wait, child care impacts and touches every Nebraskan. You know this already though, this is why you’re reading First Five Nebraska’s blog. Have you thought specifically about how much our economy...
We’ve done the talking—now what’s next for child care?
Child care has finally taken center stage in national conversations. Advocates, community leaders, employers and lawmakers now recognize that child care is not just a family concern—it’s a cornerstone of our economic infrastructure. But after years of raising...
Legislative update on early childhood, maternal and child health bills
This blog post is being updated as bills move through the legislative process. We are now more than halfway through the legislative session. Hearings have concluded, and full-day floor debate has begun. Speaker Arch, state senators and committees have identified their...
Spotlight on national trends: Impact of Income Eligibility Expansion of the Child Care Subsidy Program in Nebraska
This is the third blogpost in our series highlighting key findings from the Child Care Subsidy Expansion Impact Study. First Five Nebraska led this study in collaboration with the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, as well as other researchers and child...
2025 early childhood policy update calls
Join the First Five Nebraska Policy team for a closer look at early childhood legislation in the 2025 session of the Nebraska Unicameral. Every two weeks beginning on January 28, First Five Nebraska's Deputy Director and Public Policy Manager Elizabeth Everett will...
Child care providers: Get free help in finding the health care coverage you need
Nebraska’s child care system, though crucial, faces significant challenges in attracting and retaining a skilled workforce. One of the principal barriers is the lack of adequate health care coverage. This not only affects professionals in the field, but the families...
Spotlight on child care providers: Impact of Income Eligibility Expansion of the Child Care Subsidy Program in Nebraska
Research is a critical resource for policymakers to understand complex issues facing Nebraska children and families. For early childhood public policy, one such complex issue is the Child Care Subsidy program. At First Five Nebraska, we recently led a study on the...
Governor’s Ag & Economic Development Summit highlights child care crisis
Child care was featured alongside housing in a panel discussion and was the subject of one of four Action Hour conversations at the 2024 Governor’s Ag & Economic Development Summit in Kearney on August 8. The lack of available child care throughout Nebraska...
Fiscal analysis of Nebraska’s child care cost model is available in English, Spanish
New on First Five Nebraska's website are English and Spanish versions of the fiscal analysis for Nebraska’s Child Care Cost Model. The analysis outlines development of the cost model, which began in 2020 with an advisory workgroup comprised of child care providers and...












