Early childhood bills passed this legislative session

April 2022

Looking back on an active legislative session for early childhood

The Nebraska Legislature adjourned sine die April 20, ending this year’s 60-day legislative session and concluding the 107th legislative biennium.

Over the past four months, state senators debated and passed several historic measures. These included recovery measures totaling over $1.4 billion in one-time funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), a tax package that will provide $3.4 billion in tax relief when fully implemented in 2027, a mid-biennium budget package that retains funding for early childhood program, and significant long-term investments in workforce retention and recruitment.

First Five Nebraska was fortunate to work with several senators this session on early childhood bills. Among those that passed into law was legislation recommending maternal depression screenings during perinatal care and well-child visits, $4 million in federal funding to expand or start child care programs in communities, increasing the child care subsidy reimbursement rate to the 75% percentile of the market rate survey, notifying the Department of Health and Human Services of alleged out-of-home child abuse or neglect by a licensed child care provider and allowing early childhood programs to participate in farm-to-school activities.

Our session-end report details these bills and others affecting early childhood as well as interim studies we're working on this year that have potential to inform legislation in the future. Read the report

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New series examines how businesses can strengthen

local child care

We’re excited to share a new resource: Investing in Child Care, a series of case studies highlighting how Nebraska employers are strengthening early childhood programs in their communities. The series kicks off with Applied Connective Technologies, an Albion-based technology provider that leveraged its expertise to provide in-kind equipment and service donations for Boone Beginnings, a new state-of-the-art child care facility. Read more

Videos explore using

LB840 funding to build

child care capacity

Watch our new video to learn how communities can use Local Option Municipal Economic Development Funds to establish or expand local child care programs. The funding mechanism was created with passage of LB840 in the Nebraska Legislature in 1991. Senators amended the bill language in 2019 to include early childhood care and education programs as qualifying businesses.

This is the first in a series of short videos hosted by Strategic Partnerships Advisor Mike Feeken on using LB840 funds to help finance early childhood initiatives. In this video we look at how McCook and Albion successfully used LB840 to help provide affordable high-quality child care to support local working families and businesses. Read more

NU Research Summit creates connections

among research, practice and policy

The second cohort of the Nebraska Academy for Early Childhood Research (NAECR) Policy Fellows program concluded April 13 with a panel presentation from the Fellows at the CYFS Research Summit. The Summit is a biennial event that highlights early childhood research at the University of Nebraska.

The Policy Fellows program is a collaboration between FFN and NAECR intended to bridge the work of Nebraska's early childhood research experts with the state's early childhood policy experts.

Application for the next Policy Fellows cohort are due May 31. Read more

ELEVATE22, the Nebraska Early Childhood Collaborative's annual conference is designed to elevate the business of early care and education. This year's free event will be June 4 at locations around the state. Attendees will hear from industry experts and leaders on finance, child care policy, business wellness and more. Don't miss out on this day of learning, growth and collaboration.

Attendees will receive 6 in-service hours and an exclusive ELEVATE22 swag bag along with post-event access to online resources. Breakfast and lunch will be provided.

'The kids aren't OK: Mental health issues skyrocketed

for Nebraska kids during pandemic'

Experts say COVID-19 has stolen normal school years and upended social and emotional development of Nebraska children. “For kids, routines and structure are so important to their mental health and their well-being, and the pandemic just turned it upside down,” said Kristine Bosiljvec, the Boys Town National Hotline manager."

Nebraska medical providers are seeing a spike in all types of mental health issues among children, including depression, anxiety and eating disorders. Read more

How the pandemic is

affecting babies' brains

"Research is emerging that some babies are developing differently than they did before the COVID-19 pandemic—not because of exposure to COVID itself, but likely because of stress and social isolation."

Authors of several studies point to reduced verbal, motor and cognitive performance compared to babies born pre-pandemic, potentially due to higher levels of maternal distress, family disruption and loss.

However, they say it's too soon to conclude that these children are at a disadvantage, and early intervention can help re-direct the developmental trajectory. Read more

'Struggles in the child care industry'

From CBS News: "There is a crisis for American children, their families and the child care workers." — Lea Austin, Center for the Study of Child Care Employment

Child care for young children in the U.S. has gone from bad to worse since the pandemic, with thousands of programs closing and providers struggling to hire new staff.

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