Congratulations to eleven communities across Nebraska that were recently awarded new Sixpence grants to fund high-quality early childhood programs to serve more of our state’s most vulnerable infants and toddlers. The grants were made possible through an increase in Sixpence funding proposed in LB342 this year by State Senator John Stinner of Gering. LB342 was incorporated into the state’s mainline budget bill, allocating an additional $2.5 million per year to Sixpence for the next two years.
Response to pressure on early childhood system
The funding increase is, in part, a response to the upheaval caused by COVID-19 in child care and other early childhood systems. “The pandemic has put enormous pressure on our state’s early childhood system,” said Senator Stinner. “Sixpence offsets some of those pressures by making quality child care and family engagement services more available to help parents guide the early development of their youngest kids.”
Sixpence is Nebraska’s signature program supporting healthy cognitive, social-emotional and physical development of children from prenatal to age 3, especially those most likely to encounter developmental challenges early in life. Over the past 10 years, First Five Nebraska has been instrumental in working with policymakers to secure additional public investments in Sixpence, enabling it to reach more families with high-quality, prenatal-to-age-3 services throughout the state. Senator Stinner’s introduction of LB342 earlier this year was a clear indicator of an ongoing commitment to the education and healthy development of Nebraska’s youngest children. FFN was honored to support his efforts to advance LB342 throughout the legislative session. Read FFN’s testimony in support of LB342
43 grantees
Sixpence grantees are local school districts and cooperatives of school districts that include at least one community-based organization. With these additional grants, Sixpence now funds 43 grantees that deliver services through home-visiting programs, center-based child care programs and school-community child care partnerships.
Recipients of the grants are:
- O’Neill Public Schools (center-based)
- North Platte Public Schools (home-based/family engagement)
- Bancroft-Rosalie Community Schools (center-based/family engagement)
- Walthill Public School (center-based)
- Red Cloud Community Schools (center-based)
- Kearney Public Schools (center-based)
- Weeping Water Public Schools (center-based)
- Conestoga Public Schools (center-based)
- South Sioux City Public Schools (home-based/family engagement)
- Blair Community Schools (home-based/family engagement)
- Beatrice Community Schools (home-based/family engagement)
.
