Early Childhood Professionals
“The fact is, we’re essential—we’re linchpins in our communities and economy. The state needs professionals like us to be on the job, day in and day out, without fail—so the rest of Nebraska can get to their own jobs, build stronger families, raise successful children and keep moving forward.”
— Kim Chase | Owner/Operator, Chase’s Childcare Corner
You Are Essential
Early childhood professionals are the backbone of a broad network of programs and services that keeps Nebraska’s communities and state working. Child care operators and staff, family engagement specialists and others all represent a diverse, highly-skilled and essential segment of our statewide workforce.
But Nebraska’s early childhood professionals face a growing array of challenges that make it increasingly difficult to enter, remain and thrive in this crucial field of work. This includes an array of regulatory obstacles and financial challenges that affect the ability of caregivers and educators to keep their doors open and meet the needs of the children, families and communities they serve.
Stand Up For Your Profession
If you are an early childhood professional, your insight is needed to help us create policy solutions that will help develop a more robust and rewarding early childhood system in Nebraska.
- Get connected to others working in your field through organizations like the Nebraska Association for the Education of Young Children (NE AYEC), the Nebraska Early Childhood Collaborative or the Nebraska Family Child Care Association (NFCCA).
- Enroll in the Nebraska Early Childhood Professional Record System (NECPRS) and Step Up to Quality. These resources give you access to services and resources to advance your professional development, improve your child care program and enable advocates to better understand the needs of early childhood workers throughout the state.
- Create a profile on the Nebraska Child Care Referral Network, a robust website that can connect you more easily with parents seeking child care services, and keep you informed about news and developments affecting early childhood professionals.
Featured Publications
First Five Nebraska’s 2023 legislative priorities
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...
Sara Brady joins First Five Nebraska as Data Analyst
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...
Policy Leadership Academy: Influencing early childhood policy at the local level
This year’s Policy Leadership Academy (PLA) Class 4 gathered in Hastings on November 16 for their second workshop of the 2022-2023 session. First Five Nebraska’s non-partisan PLA program trains and empowers citizen advocates to work with policymakers at all...
2022-23 Policy Leadership Academy kicks off in Broken Bow
“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...
FFN testifies at hearings for interim studies LR266, LR378
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...
Celebrate We Care for Kids Week with us!
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....

The Latest on the Blog
First Five Nebraska’s 2023 legislative priorities
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...
108th Nebraska Legislature convenes
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.