The quality of early care and education a child receives is directly linked to teacher quality and compensation. In Nebraska, many early educators earn less than $15/hour and would like the opportunity to build skills to improve the quality of their care. The Child...
Diane Temme Stinton is owner and CEO of TMCO based in Lincoln. She testified before the Nebraska Legislature’s Revenue Committee in support of LB318 on behalf of the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce, Lincoln Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce, the...
Now more than ever, we know how heavily our state relies upon high-quality, affordable and accessible child care. Working parents depend upon it for the financial stability of their families. Employers depend upon it so workers can be fully engaged and productive at...
State senators introduced 812 bills in the first 10 days of this year’s legislative session, the highest number since 2001. First Five Nebraska has nine priority bills this year, and is following nearly 70 other Nebraska early childhood bills that could impact young...
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...
State Senator Wendy DeBoer, District 10, introduced LR367, an interim study examining home visiting for Nebraska families, during the 2022 legislative session. She testified on LR367 at a hearing before the Nebraska Legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee on...
September 26 through October 2 is We Care for Kids Week, a statewide celebration to raise awareness for quality early childhood education and build support for early childhood educators. It’s an opportunity to inform, motivate and engage Nebraskans across the state....
It’s one thing to know that a significant portion of Nebraska’s youngest children begin their lives in households facing serious financial challenges. It’s another thing to see how those children are distributed across our state’s legislative districts. This week,...
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...
[First Five Nebraska Policy Advisor Sara Howard testified before the Lincoln City Council in support of Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird's proposal to include home visiting in the city's annual budget. This blog is adapted from Howard's written testimony.] Healthy moms and...
It’s the role of parents to ensure their children benefit from safe, loving and stimulating experiences to help them learn and grow. That’s true whether they are being cared for at home with family, with a neighbor or in another setting. It’s also true that a great...
Last year, the American Academy of Pediatrics and national partners declared a national emergency in child and adolescent mental health. This declaration focused on the profound growth of mental health hazards associated with the global pandemic, including disruptions...