Crossing Over: New Connected Youth Initiative GOALS Program Helps Create a Bridge Between Youth and Supports

Posted on July 15, 2020 by Nebraska Children — Leave a comment

Imagine having experienced the foster care system. Maybe you connected with a family. Maybe you didn’t, and now you’re alone. You’re ready to live your best life, but are so focused on surviving, you’ve yet to approach thriving.

The Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Labor, CYI, Central Plains Center for Services and The Sherwood Foundation have teamed up to create Granting Opportunities for Achievement and Lifelong Success (GOALS). This initiative supports young adults who are transitioning from extended foster care during and throughout the pandemic. Read more.

Quality Childcare Near You: Sixpence CCP Teams Up with Hastings Public Schools and Stoney’s Childcare Center

Posted on July 10, 2020 by Nebraska Children — Leave a comment

Stoney Straatmann (above middle), a licensed childcare provider, talks about how Sixpence CCP has benefited her.

Today, we asked Stoney Straatmann, a licensed childcare provider and one of Sixpence Child Care Partnership Programs (Sixpence CCP) from Hastings, Nebraska to talk about her experiences and benefits of the partnership. Before we speak with Stoney, we’d like to explain how Sixpence and its Child Care Partnerships work together.

Hand-Me-Downs: Mothers, Daughters, and Mentors Share Their Vision for the Next Generation of Childcare Professionals

Posted on June 30, 2020 by Nebraska Children — Leave a comment

What do I do if a parent’s check bounces? How do I handle temper tantrums? How do I keep the children in my care safe and healthy during the pandemic? How do I create a budget? What are my main expenses? How do I self-care? Why won’t toddlers put their shoes on without throwing a fit? How do I know if I am the right person for this field? Who do I talk to when I’m confused, stressed, or wish to learn about other professional opportunities? The Dawson County Early Childhood Professional Learning Series has answers.

Tagged with: communities for kids, early childhood, early childhood education, early years
Posted in Uncategorized

The Giving Community: Nebraska Children Joins Fremont’s COVID-19 Task Force

Posted on June 30, 2020 by Nebraska Children — Leave a comment

Picture a rainy, cloudy day. The sky is a pale gray. Torrents pelt down like ball peen hammers. Suddenly, a man twirling fire walks through the rain, then a clown parades through the puddles. A line of cars slowly forms to watch the performance. This is not a dreamscape; this is the positive change that we envision at Nebraska Children, of which we’re delighted to take part. Read more.

Tagged with: Bring Up Nebraska, community collaboratives, community prevention system, community response
Posted in Uncategorized

Early Childhood Development is a Home Run: Cassie and Taylor Boyle Share their Sixpence Home-Based Experience

Posted on June 25, 2020 by Nebraska Children — Leave a comment

We recently spoke with Cassie and Taylor Boyle of Plattsmouth, Nebraska. Cassie and Taylor are the parents of four children. Cassie explained some of the key benefits, resources, and takeaways she and her family have experienced from participating in the Sixpence Home-Based program.

Brainchildren: McCook Communities for Kids’ Meeting-of-the-Minds Increases Childcare and Community

Posted on June 23, 2020 by Nebraska Children — 1 Comment

When childcare’s future looks cloudy, McCook’s Communities for Kids brainstorms and creates a silver lining by collecting families’ responses through an in-depth survey and creating a childcare incentives program! Read about how the team forged quality care incentives to improve the presence of their community’s childcare programs and providers.

Good Things Come in Threes: Communities for Kids and Partners Enact Three-Phase Approach for Early Childhood Programs and Providers

Posted on June 19, 2020 by Nebraska Children — Leave a comment

Columbus' Communities for Kids, the Community and Family Partnership, Columbus Public Schools, and other partners stand at attention, ready to hand out essential items.

Communities for Kids, one of Nebraska Children’s Early Childhood initiatives, has been hard at work. As one of our programs designed to support children during their early years and their caregivers, we believe that change begins at the community level – and it did in Columbus, Nebraska. Read more about Columbus’ three-phase approach to assisting their local childcare providers.

Tagged with: columbus, communities for kids, coronavirus, early childhood, early childhood education
Posted in Early Childhood, News and Events

Zeny: A Young Woman with an Incredible Work Ethic, Meets Her Goals and Says, “I Can’t Wait to Give Back One Day”

Posted on June 15, 2020 by Nebraska Children — Leave a comment

When Zeny and her husband moved from the small town of Hastings, Nebraska to Lincoln, she had to begin all over again. For anyone who has encountered not only a new chapter in life, but a new library, that transition can be scary, exciting, and abrupt. One CYI component that helped Zeny along her way was Opportunity Passport™, which is implemented in Lincoln by Community Action Partnership of Lancaster and Saunders County. Read more about Zeny’s accomplishments.

Virusbusters: Lisa Topf Talks about Early Care Provider’s Struggles at the Frontlines of COVID-19

Posted on June 11, 2020 by Nebraska Children — 1 Comment

We are grateful to Lisa, a Sioux City, Nebraska early care specialist, for sharing her experience at Cubby Care Campus, an early childhood center that’s situated in a growing hotbed of COVID-19, or what Lisa calls The Villain Virus. From here on, Lisa will discuss her experience, in her own words.

Tagged with: early childhood, early childhood education, early years, Rooted in Relationships
Posted in Early Childhood, News and Events

Tips for Early Care Providers, Educators, and Programs

Posted on June 5, 2020 by Nebraska Children — 2 Comments

To ensure our safety and well-being for our next generation, the NAIMH (Nebraska Association for Infant Mental Health) has leveraged various recent sources to put together a series best practices for early care providers and educators so that our children and we can adjust to some significant changes.

To ensure our safety and well-being not only as a community, but also for our next generation, the NAIMH, has leveraged various recent sources to put together a series best practices for early care providers and educators so that we and our children can adjust to some major changes.