Trump administration releases proposal to dismantle federal Head Start regulations
Learn more about the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and being prepared to offer your comments.
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Breakdown of the Federal Budget Process: A Guide for Early Childhood Advocates
This is the first in a series of blog posts on the federal budget process and how Congress funds early childhood programs. As First Five Nebraska continues to move into early childhood policy work at the federal level, we’ve developed this overview of the federal...
Medicaid Work Requirements are in Effect in Nebraska—Learn How to Protect Your Coverage
Last July, President Trump signed H.R. 1 into law, making significant changes to Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and other social service programs. Among the many changes in this new law were work requirements for certain Medicaid...
A Bipartisan Win for Nebraska Families: Making Child Care Assistance Permanent
Nebraskans deserve the best from their elected officials. They expect us to listen, to deliberate with respect, to work together. Sometimes we fall short, but more than once this session, we got it right. On January 8, I stood united with many of my colleagues in the...
FFN’s New Affordability Calculator Shows How Much Child Care Costs Across the State
This blog post was originally published as an op-ed in the Nebraska Examiner. One of the most common questions First Five Nebraska (FFN) receives from policymakers and community leaders is “What’s the average cost of child care in Nebraska?” The short answer: more...
Nebraska Early Childhood Advocates Oppose Rolling Back Head Start Teacher Pay and Benefits
On May 12, the federal Office of Head Start published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) proposing to rescind 2024 Head Start teacher wage regulations. The regulations required creation of wage scales and progress toward pay parity by 2031, with Head Start...
The Economic Cost of Child Care Challenges in the Greater Omaha Region
In March, First Five Nebraska released Working Families, Working Economy: An Examination of the Economic Impact, Supply and Demand of the Child Care System in the Greater Omaha Chamber Region. The report was commissioned by the Greater Omaha Chamber (GOC) to better...