July 2022
The American Academy of Pediatrics and partners declared a national emergency in child and adolescent mental health last year due to persistent adversity and family instability resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

While these factors can create serious problems affecting children and families, they also put growing pressure on our public health and social service systems.

Threats to mental health can be damaging at any stage in a child’s development, but are especially harmful in the first three years of life when children need experiences that foster healthy physical, social, cognitive and emotional growth.

Maternal depression is among the factors that can cause prolonged stress for babies and significantly affect their development, particularly when it undermines the natural attachment between mothers and their youngest children. Read more

Grassroots & Outreach Advisor Jodi-Renee Giron traveled to Grand Island, York and Kearney to catch up with Policy Leadership Academy alumni from classes 1 and 2 and their work in Grand Island Public Schools, Hall County Community Collaborative, ESU 10 and Sixpence in Kearney Public Schools. Summing up her recent travels, J-R said, "It was a reminder that the success of our advocacy mission is in the consistency and imagination of those who will not look away nor give up on Nebraska’s children and families. Our advocates are a constant source of encouragement to those of us in this work and they are clearly influencing at all the levels of power."  Read more
Learning Begins at Birth is a 64-page booklet offering useful information on children's development, health and care from the prenatal stage through age 5. Per state statute 79-1902, it is distributed to parents of each child born in Nebraska and is available in English, Spanish, Arabic, Vietnamese and Karen. If your organization serves new and expectant parents and can help distribute Learning Begins at Birth, please order free copies here.

If you’re an early childhood educator, more people need to know your story—what you do, why and what it means to children, families and your community.

We want to make sure your work is understood and appreciated. Learn more and tell your story: We Care for Kids

"A dearth of child care and elder care choices is causing many women to reorganize their working lives and prompting some to forgo jobs altogether, hurting the economy at a moment when companies are desperate to hire, and forcing trade-offs that could impair careers."

At the same time, there's new demand for care. After a decrease in the number of births early in the pandemic, nearly 3.7 million babies were born last year, up 1 percent from 2020 and the first such increase since 2014. — NYT Read more
An infant’s first three years are crucial for brain and body development. Families need health care, nutritious food and safe, stable environments to help their children start off strong.