The child tax credit was enacted more than 20 years ago to help parents with the everyday expenses of raising children. The 2021 American Rescue Plan expands the credit amount for one year, from $2,000 per child to $3,600 for younger children and $3,000 for older...
The COVID-19 emergency has put a profound strain on Nebraska's early childhood small businesses. This guide provides information on state and federal programs that can help small business owners cope with the pandemic.
Toxic stress in families with young children is rarely the product of a single cause, but a confluence of factors that contribute to a breakdown in familial bonding. The presence of outright abuse or neglect, domestic violence, substance abuse or depression in the family are, of course, obvious signs of that breakdown, and effectively undercut the parent-child bond as a crucial source of emotional stability for young children.
April 6-12 is the Week of the Young Child, sponsored by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and Nebraska AEYC. “Early Years Are Learning Years” is the focus this year.
Do you remember songs from your childhood? Does hearing a particular song evoke memories of people, events or places in your past? Dick Clark said music is the soundtrack of our lives, and just as music can have a powerful effect on us as adults, it can have an equally strong impact on the developing brains of young children.
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.
It’s the state basketball championship game at the Pinnacle Bank Arena, and your team is down three points with one minute to play. You have the ball and one timeout. Both teams are in the double-bonus.
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.
Simple things can make a big difference. Studies show that time spent playing board games boosts the math skills of children in early childhood programs.
Researchers tell us that by the time children from low-income homes enter kindergarten, they have heard 30 million fewer words than their more affluent peers. The result of this word deficit is a smaller vocabulary, which leads to slower learning. Children learn words spoken directly to them, and the more words they hear at a very young age, the better prepared they’ll be when they start school.