More working families with young children will be able to access high-quality child care due to funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). Nebraska Children and Families Foundation’s Communities for Kids initiative—through partnership with the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services Children and Family Services received through Nebraska Legislative Bill 1014: appropriation of funds allocated to the State of Nebraska from the federal Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund pursuant to the federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, 42 U.S.C. 802. Sixteen contracts to Nebraska communities began January 1, 2023 to increase child care offerings through new programs or expansion of current providers.
Lighthouse Christian Daycare, located in Box Butte County is one of the 16 communities throughout the state to expand their capacity. Lighthouse Christian Daycare is set to expand their capacity by 28.
Upside Down in Kimball County is the other contract that was offered in the Panhandle, with their facility set to expand by 45.
Nebraska consistently ranks among the top five states for percentage of children aged 0-5 with all available parents in the workforce. Even before the pandemic, 91% of Nebraska counties lacked adequate child care options to meet the needs of their working families. That deficit has become even more apparent as Nebraska struggles to find enough workers to meet employers’ needs and fuel economic recovery and growth. This funding will help several communities with high need help alleviate their child care shortage.
Marti McFadden Beard, VP of Early Childhood at Nebraska Children said, “Communities for Kids is thrilled to partner with DHHS on this opportunity to support 16 local Nebraska projects to increase child care capacity. Throughout our work across the state, we see the impact of high-quality accessible care and understand that child care not only positively impacts children, but also families, employers, schools, and communities. Our deepest thanks to DHHS for partnering with us on this opportunity to enhance these communities.”
Along with the funds, Communities for Kids provides expertise, tools, and resources to the communities to support the expansion of their programs.