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...
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.
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...
[Editor’s Note: 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...
Mitchell Clark joined First Five Nebraska (FFN) this month as Policy Advisor. He comes to FFN from the Nebraska Legislature, where he served most recently as legislative aide to State Senator John Stinner, District 48, and research analyst for the Appropriations...
I had the privilege of meeting in Kearney recently with the Nebraska Association of Elementary School Principals’ (NAESP) leadership cohort. Kristine Luebbe, director of Programs & Partnerships at the Nebraska Department of Education and I have been working to...
“It’s about long-term momentum.” It takes a lot to give young children the best possible start in life. It takes cohesive, resilient families who are prepared to address children’s earliest developmental needs. It takes quality early childhood services and supports to...
First Five Nebraska’s Data and Policy Researcher Dr. Katie Bass testified at two hearings before the Nebraska Legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee on Oct. 7. The hearings were for interim study resolutions LR266 and LR378, both introduced by State Senator...
Extensive research has shown us that children’s earliest experiences build the foundation that affects them for the rest of their lives. Parents are their children’s first and best caregivers and teachers during these early years, but they sometimes struggle with...
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...