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
Early Childhood Policy Leadership Academy alumni are making a difference
“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...
Chamber economic development panel: Child care is crucial to addressing workforce crisis
First Five Nebraska led a panel at the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s recent Economic Development Summit on addressing the state’s workforce crisis. The discussion examined how high-quality early childhood care and education bolsters Nebraska businesses,...
Boone Beginnings—A community celebration of quality child care
At the open house and celebration of Boone Beginnings in Albion on November 7, I realized something: I miss the power of celebrating the completion of a major community project. As a former economic development director, I experienced the opportunities of seeing...
Policy Advisor Sara Howard offers policy options on maternal depression
Maternal depression is the most common pregnancy and postpartum complication in America, impacting one in every seven women who cease to be pregnant.[1] Even with those statistics, many provider groups agree that this condition remains underdiagnosed, which means even...
FFN testifies at LR221 hearing on maternal and infant mortality and morbidity
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 testifies on using ARPA to invest in early childhood workforce
FFN Director Jason Prokop said ARPA funds can help stabilize Nebraska’s early childhood workforce in testimony before the Appropriations Committee this week.
