108th Nebraska Legislature now in session
New early childhood legislation impacts families, workforce, business engagement, child care licensing and subsidy
Early Childhood Policy
We help government officials make informed, strategic decisions.
Strategic Engagement
We bring more people into the early childhood conversation.
Research & Analysis
We illuminate the issues with credible information and insight.
Successful Children. Strong Families.
Prosperous Communities.
We work to ensure that more of Nebraska’s youngest, most vulnerable children begin life with the kinds of developmental experiences that set them on a path to becoming successful students and productive citizens.
Current Initiatives
Reducing maternal mortality and morbidity in Nebraska: We worked with State Senator Lynne Walz to pass LB905, which recommends perinatal maternal depression screening.
Nebraska Early Childhood Policy Leadership Academy members build skills to drive early childhood change at the local level.
Investing ARPA funds in Nebraska's early childhood workforce is key to increasing access to quality care and learning programs.
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First Five Nebraska’s 2023 legislative priorities
Bill introduction in the Nebraska Legislature has concluded, and state senators introduced 812 bills during this first session of the two-year biennium. Each bill will be referred to a committee and receive a public hearing, and then may be advanced for debate by the...
108th Nebraska Legislature convenes
The 90-day first session of the 108th Nebraska Legislature convened January 4 with 15 newly elected state senators, 10 re-elected and 1 appointed senator.
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...
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FFN policy staff was honored to attend the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce & Industry's annual Business Hall of Fame banquet in Lincoln yesterday evening, and thrilled to hear Jane Miller, former Gallup president/COO and 2023 Hall of Fame inductee, comment on the importance of business leadership in addressing the #childcare needs of workers. #Nebraska #EarlyChildhood
The public hearing for #lb115 is set for tomorrow, 2/2, at 1:30 CT before the #neleg HHS Cmte. It will be the fourth bill heard. LB115 creates the Family Home Visitation Act, defines evidence-based home visiting in statute and clarifies funding. FFN Policy Advisor Sara Howard will testify in support. Thank you for introducing LB115 State Senator Jane Raybould. #nebraska #PN3
Watch here: nebraskapublicmedia.org/en/series-media/legislative-hearing-video/standalone-video-15926/health-a...
“What does the average #Nebraska family pay for #childcare?” FFN partnered with the Committee for Economic Development to create a calculator that helps policymakers understand childcare costs and what they mean for families. The calculator utilizes Nebraska county and state data for housing and other monthly expenses and allows customization by users. It also shows whether a family's income qualifies them for subsidized childcare. #NEleg #EarlyChildhood
www.firstfivenebraska.org/get-involved/policymakers/child-care-affordability-calculator/
The lack of adequate #childcare for infants and young children across the country is costing the U.S. $122 billion annually in lost earnings, productivity and revenue, according to new research from ReadyNation, part of Council for a Strong America, a bipartisan group focused on education and childcare policy. According to the report, 51,000 Americans missed work last month owing to childcare issues. And it isn't just parents and childcare being affected, employers are losing $23 billion annually in reduced revenues and recruiting costs to replace parents exiting the workforce due to lack of childcare.
fortune.com/2023/01/30/childcare-crisis-poses-a-122-billion-dollar-economic-threat/
The childcare crisis poses a $122 billion economic threat to the U.S.
fortune.com
“A combination of COVID-19 and insufficient policy action have now significantly worsened the infant-toddler childcare crisis.”FFN submitted a letter of support to the #neleg Revenue Committee in support of #LB58, which would provide a sales tax exemption for diapers. FFN is acutely aware of the struggles young families face as they work to provide shelter, food and clothing for their children, and LB58 will reduce the cost of a necessary commodity for many parents. Thank you State Senator John Cavanaugh for introducing LB58. Read FFN's testimony: www.firstfivenebraska.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/LB58-First-Five-Nebraska-letter-of-support.pdf
From Unicameral Update on #LB75, Senator Tony Vargas's bill to allow reviews of life-threatening incidents during childbirth: I Be Black Girl representative Nyomi Thompson also testified in support, saying LB75 would provide adequate data collection to reveal health disparities and yield solutions to the maternal health crisis experienced by the Black community. In addition to being two to four times more likely to die from childbirth than their white counterparts, she said, Black individuals also are two times more likely to experience severe maternal morbidity when giving birth. #neleg #maternalhealth #nebraska update.legislature.ne.gov/?p=33098
Review of maternal near-death data sought
update.legislature.ne.gov
A bill that would allow for the review of instances of severe maternal morbidity was heard by the Health and Human Services Committee Jan. 25.