First Five Nebraska (FFN) today kicked off a public education campaign promoting the Child Care Tax Credit and School Readiness Tax Credit. The refundable and nonrefundable tax credits are designed to help address key challenges facing child care providers and the...
Category: Early Childhood Workforce
Governor’s Ag & Economic Development Summit highlights child care crisis
Child care was featured alongside housing in a panel discussion and was the subject of one of four Action Hour conversations at the 2024 Governor’s Ag & Economic Development Summit in Kearney on August 8. The lack of available child care throughout Nebraska...
Fiscal analysis of Nebraska’s child care cost model is available in English, Spanish
New on First Five Nebraska's website are English and Spanish versions of the fiscal analysis for Nebraska’s Child Care Cost Model. The analysis outlines development of the cost model, which began in 2020 with an advisory workgroup comprised of child care providers and...
DOL final Overtime Rule could affect child care providers
Editor’s note: Several child care providers and programs have reached out to First Five Nebraska about the upcoming changes to the U.S. Department of Labor’s wage and hour regulations. Because many employees in the child care industry work long hours to meet the needs...
Mejorar el acceso, asequibilidad y estabilidad del cuidado infantil del Fondo de Desarrollo y Cuidado Infantil (CCDF)
Recursos Resumen tematico de FFN: Mejorar el acceso, la asequibilidad y las estabilidad del cuidado infantil en el Fondo de Desarrollo y Cuidado Infantil (CCDF) [PDF descarga] Diapositivas de la llamada Zoom de FFN sobre el borrador del plan estatal del CCDF [PDF...
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....
First 5 reasons Nebraska child care providers deserve our appreciation and support
Nebraska child care providers play a crucial role in nurturing and shaping the lives of young children in their care, and their unwavering support makes an immense contribution to the healthy development of the next generation. Providers approach their work with...
Nebraska Legislature adjourns with significant gains for early childhood
The Nebraska Legislature adjourned sine die Thursday, April 18, ending this year’s 60-day session. First Five Nebraska was fortunate to work with state senators and Governor Pillen to introduce and pass several pieces of early childhood legislation that will...
‘Micro-centers’ could build supply of child care in Nebraska
The shortage of child care, particularly in Nebraska’s rural areas and under-resourced communities, is well documented. But what is less well known is that the problem is exacerbated by scale. Child care settings that enroll 12 or fewer children, licensed as Family...
LB856 would increase child care worker recruitment and retention
State Senator John Fredrickson, representing District 20 in central west Omaha, introduced LB856, which excludes all earned and unearned income for child care subsidy applications if the applicant or household member is self-employed at a licensed child care program...
FFN 2024 priority legislation focuses on child care, maternal health, literacy, home visiting
The Second Session of the 108th Nebraska Legislature convened January 3 for a 60-day session. In his State of the State address to lawmakers, Governor Pillen prioritized property taxes, regulatory barriers and affordable housing, and also emphasized the importance of...
Apprenticeships can help build Nebraska’s early childhood workforce
Tracy Gordon is executive director of the Nebraska Association for the Education of Young Children (Nebraska AEYC). She testified before the Nebraska Legislature's Education Committee December 1, 2023, on LR251, an interim study introduced by State Senator Robert...