With the 2022 legislative session now in full swing, the Nebraska Early Childhood Policy Leadership Academy (PLA) focused its January workshop on how citizen advocates can influence the policymaking process in state government. The online event featured a slate of...
Nebraska State Senators will convene the 60-day session of the 107th Legislature Jan, 5, 2022. It will be the second session of the 2-year biennium.
Nebraska licensed child care professionals, now is the time to apply for the School Readiness Tax Credit to file with your 2021 tax return. Applying for the credit is a multiple-step process, so it’s important to begin as soon as possible. It will take time to verify...
“We live in a world in which we need to share responsibility. It’s easy to say ‘It’s not my child, not my community, not my world, not my problem.’ Then there are those who see the need and respond. I consider those people my heroes.” I have a library of Mr. Rogers...
Organize, activate, sustain. This is the framework for driving meaningful change at the local level through effective advocacy—especially our efforts to grow more vibrant communities for young children and their families. Last week, nearly 40 members of the 2021-22...
First Five Nebraska policy staff and early childhood researchers from all five University of Nebraska campuses kicked off the second cohort of the Policy Fellows Program recently. The Nebraska Academy for Early Childhood Research (NAECR) and First Five Nebraska began...
We’d like to introduce FFN's two interns for the 2021-2022 academic year. Dalhia Lloyd and Samuel Mitchell-Sturgeon will serve in a primary support role for Data and Policy Research Advisor Katie Bass. In particular, they’ll assist with a School Readiness Tax Credit...
First Five Nebraska Policy Advisor Sara Howard testified before the Nebraska Legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee at a recent hearing on LR221, Senator Tony Vargas’ interim study of maternal and infant mortality and morbidity. Panel created after record...
FFN Director Jason Prokop said ARPA funds can help stabilize Nebraska’s early childhood workforce in testimony before the Appropriations Committee this week.
Editor's Note: After 10 years with First Five Nebraska, Becky Veak retired in August. She leaves us with these final thoughts. Thank you, Becky! After 14 years with Nebraska Children and Families Foundation and First Five Nebraska, I leave this incredible workplace to...
If your school district has not yet invited public input on the distribution of its forthcoming Emergency and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds, you may still have an opportunity to advocate using them to promote...
We’re excited to announce the launch of First Five Nebraska’s new website. Featuring a fully responsive look and enhanced user experience, the new site was designed to educate and engage Nebraskans around critical early childhood news and policies in our state. “For...