Blog | First Five Nebraska

2 New Sixpence Grants Connect Child Care Providers, Schools to Promote Quality Early Learning

Auburn and Hastings are recipients of the latest round of Sixpence Child Care Partnership grants. The grants are awarded to school districts who have partnered with local licensed child care providers to improve the care for infants and toddlers at risk. Read More

June 07, 2018 | Posted in Legislation

Cuts to Quality Early Childhood Funding Pose a Risk-vs.-Gain Problem for Taxpayers

Nebraska’s Corrections system has been the subject of urgent discussion in the Legislature given its insufficient facilities, prison rioting and workforce instability. Reducing state funding for Sixpence and other quality early childhood programs represents a very small savings to taxpayers in the larger scheme of things. If even a few young children at risk eventually drift into the Corrections system, it will be too late to ask ourselves if those savings were worth it. Read More

March 29, 2018 | Posted in Legislation

Legislature Advances Budget Bill with Cuts to Early Childhood Programs

Bill contains cuts to the Sixpence Early Learning Fund, the Early Childhood Grant Program and Step Up to Quality. The small gains obtained from reductions to early care and education are likely to be lost by resulting future increased costs of special education services, grade retention and youth detention/rehabilitation services. Read More

March 15, 2018 | Posted in Legislation

Sixpence Debuts New Website

Sixpence Early Learning Fund has given thousands of Nebraska infants and toddlers at risk a stronger start in life by promoting high-quality early learning opportunities. It recently launched a new website as part of its 10-year anniversary celebration. Read More

April 06, 2017 | Posted in General

Broken Bow Sixpence: A Model of Quality in Rural Nebraska

Broken Bow Sixpence and partners offer high-quality education to prepare children at risk for lifelong success. Read More

November 17, 2016 | Posted in General

First School-Child Care Partnership Grants Awarded

Falls City, Kearney, North Platte, Chadron, Sidney and Gering receive new Sixpence grants to create School-Child Care Partnerships that will serve nearly 600 infants and toddlers, more than half are at risk of arriving at school prepared to learn. Read More

March 31, 2016 | Posted in Legislation

Flexibility Matters

Home child care providers, child care centers, Head Start programs, school-based preschools, faith-based programs and others all have a place in ensuring that Nebraska's children at risk have access to quality opportunities during their earliest years. Read More

March 10, 2016 | Posted in General

Our Public-Private Partnership Provides High-Quality Learning Experiences for Our Youngest Citizens

NHHS Director Courtney Phillips: Nebraska's Department of Health and Human Services has begun to implement policies that incentivize child care providers to improve their program quality, meaning more children at risk who utilize these services may have access to the kinds of environments that close the achievement gap. Read More

November 12, 2015 | Posted in General

New Sixpence School-Child Care Provider Partnerships a Game Changer

The Sixpence Board of Trustees announced a new grant opportunity this week that transforms how communities can work together to support early learning opportunities. Read More

October 02, 2015 | Posted in Legislation

Early Childhood Highlights from Nebraska’s 2015 Legislative Session

Balancing a wide variety of public interests and with great bipartisan support, the Nebraska Legislature again recognized the critical importance of children’s early years prior to adjourning the 2015 legislative session on May 29. Of preeminent importance to First Five Nebraska is public policy that recognizes the development of the brain in the early years literally shapes the learning capacity for the rest of a child’s life. Here's a summary of our highest priority bills from the 2015 legislative session. Read More

June 04, 2015 | Posted in Legislation

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