Nebraska’s Prenatal-to-Age-3 Plan
Nebraska’s Prenatal-to-Age-3 Plan will make equitable, high-quality programs and services more accessible to pregnant women, infants and toddlers throughout the state.
Statewide initiative focused on our youngest children
The first three years—beginning in the prenatal period—are crucial to children’s lifelong development. During this time, the developing brain forms as many as one million new neural connections per second, which makes children’s earliest experiences crucial to their future learning, as well as their mental, behavioral and physical health. However, far too many families in Nebraska lack ready access to essential programs, services and systems that help meet the specific developmental needs of very young children.
In response to this challenge, First Five Nebraska is coordinating a statewide Prenatal-to-Age-3 (PN-3) Plan to advance public policies and strengthen systems to help families better guide the healthy development of their youngest children. This cross-sector effort involves close collaboration with Nebraska’s Preschool Development Grant partners—including state agencies, business and economic development leaders, early childhood professionals and families—to increase equitable access to high-quality early care and learning, health, mental health and social service supports. Nebraska’s PN-3 Plan is part of a national effort funded by the Pritzker Children’s Initiative (PCI), and led in collaboration with the National Coalition for Infants and Toddlers (NCIT) and the Prenatal-to-Three Policy Impact Center.
Increasing access across Nebraska
Working together, we have set ambitious goals for connecting more Nebraska families—especially those of low income—to essential early childhood programs and services:
- Near-term goal: 25% increase in access (15,000 children by 2023)
- Long-term goal: 50% increase in access (30,050 children—ongoing)
Aligned early childhood systems and supports
Nebraska’s PN-3 Plan involves community and state leaders in coordinating a full suite of aligned, accountable and sustainable early childhood systems and supports. Focus areas include:
- Ensuring higher levels of access to subsidized and transitional child care assistance
- Increasing the quality, capacity and availability of quality child care programs
- Expanding availability of nutritional supports, developmental screenings, prenatal and maternal mental health services
- Reducing infant and maternal morbidity rates
All goals and strategies for Nebraska’s PN-3 Plan represent a commitment to ensure equitable participation so families, children and providers of diverse race, ethnicity and language can thrive.
Featured Publications
Lawmakers score win for families, child care providers with passage of LB754
First Five Nebraska commends the members of the Nebraska Legislature who voted to pass LB754 (originally introduced as LB318), an important bill for working parents, child care providers and communities across the state. When signed into law by Governor Pillen, LB754...
The Policy Leadership Academy is accepting applications for Class 5
The Early Childhood Policy Leadership Academy (PLA) is excited to announce that applications are open for Class 5! We’re looking for individuals with a passion for early childhood and pre/perinatal issues who want to be effective change agents in their communities. ...
First Five Nebraska leads impact study on child care subsidy eligibility changes
At First Five Nebraska, we value public policy that is grounded in research. It informs which policies we support. We stay apprised of research in the early childhood field to be a resource for policymakers in Nebraska. And we pursue research projects like The Bottom...
School Readiness Tax Credit would recognize, support child care providers
LB754, the Child Care Tax Credit Act (formerly LB318), is on Select File, the second of three rounds of debate in the Nebraska Legislature. It includes a provision to reinstate the School Readiness Tax Credit Act, which would provide tax credits for eligible child...
The ‘Iron Triangle’: Why child care programs struggle to break even
Given the high prices parents pay for child care, it is often assumed that child care programs must be very profitable. However, this is almost never the case. In fact, just to break even, a program must operate consistently within the constraints of what child care...
LB114 would increase federal funding for home visiting in Nebraska
Kelly Crane has worked in the field of prevention and child welfare for more than 20 years and is the state policy specialist for Prevent Child Abuse America, a national organization dedicated to preventing child abuse and neglect. Healthy Families America is their...
