Research
Proactive early childhood policy through research and data analysis
First Five Nebraska’s work is grounded in applied research to inform public policies that provide the best outcomes for Nebraska’s young children, families, businesses and communities. We partner with experts to research and analyze data around a variety of early childhood issues to understand needs across Nebraska. These include the economic impacts of early childhood programs, the cost of high-quality child care, equity and accessibility, supports for the early childhood workforce and more.
The Bottom Line
In 2020, First Five Nebraska and the University of Nebraska–Lincoln Bureau of Business Research released The Bottom Line, a report that explored the economic impacts of inadequate child care access in Nebraska. Learn more
Research priorities
- Analyzing the impact of income eligibility changes to the child care subsidy program
- Establishing the costs of high-quality child care in Nebraska
- Understanding the impact of child care expenses for families in Nebraska Learn more
Featured Publications
New cost estimation tool examines cost of providing quality child care
The Nebraska Child Care Cost Model, a new tool developed in collaboration with First Five Nebraska and Prenatal to Five Fiscal Strategies (P5FS), examines how the expense of delivering high-quality child care services relates to the actual revenue earned by providers....
What does ‘being ready for school’ really mean?
On the first day of kindergarten, the child who is ready to learn is not necessarily the one who can count to 20 or name all the colors in the rainbow, rather it’s the child who can pay attention, take turns, get along with others and follow directions.
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...
NAECR selects 2022-23 Policy Fellows
The Nebraska Academy for Early Childhood Research (NAECR) has selected six faculty members to serve as Policy Fellows for the 2022-23 academic year. The NAECR Policy Fellows Program is designed to educate early childhood researchers on policy processes, impacts and...
Policy Fellows, NU Research Summit create connections among research, practice and policy
The second cohort of the Nebraska Academy for Early Childhood Research (NAECR) Policy Fellows program concluded April 13 with a panel presentation at the CYFS Summit on Research in Early Childhood. The Research Summit is a bi-annual event co-sponsored by the Nebraska...
Policy Fellows Program seeks connections between early childhood research, policy
First Five Nebraska policy staff and early childhood researchers from all five University of Nebraska campuses kicked off the second cohort of the Policy Fellows Program recently. The Nebraska Academy for Early Childhood Research (NAECR) and First Five Nebraska began...
