Twenty-two citizen-advocates representing the state’s child care industry, PK-12 education system, public health system, economic development and nonprofit organizations graduated from the 2024-25 Nebraska Early Childhood Policy Leadership Academy (PLA) at a special event in Columbus, NE on March 12. The PLA is the state’s premier leadership initiative focused specifically on preparing advocates to play an active role in shaping public policy conversations that affect the care and development of young children.
The PLA, an initiative of First Five Nebraska, is a six-month program providing intensive training that enables participants to leverage data, asset mapping, advocacy strategy and an understanding of the legislative and administrative policymaking processes to address early childhood challenges in their communities. Participation in the program is based on a competitive application process. A limited number of applicants is admitted each year. Now in its sixth year, more than 180 participants have graduated from the program, forming a statewide network of advocates that covers 63 of Nebraska’s 93 counties.
First Five Nebraska Grassroots and Advocacy Advisor Jodi-Renee Girón coordinates the program. “Effective advocacy isn’t the work of one or two individuals,” said Girón. “It’s a full-community effort. The goal of the PLA is to equip its graduates to better engage and coordinate their communities, so their concerns about child care, maternal and child health, and related issues are being accurately addressed in the spaces where public policy gets made.”
While many of those concerns involve the urgent need to increase the supply of quality, affordable child care in the state, PLA participants also focus on improving prenatal and postnatal health supports for mothers and children, and other issues.
“The early childhood challenges facing our state affect nearly every public and private sector interest in our state, whether it’s education, public health, business and industry, or economic development,” said First Five Nebraska Director Jason Prokop. “Strategic collaboration is at the heart of this initiative and we are proud to have these community leaders joining us in the work to advocate for Nebraska’s youngest children and families.”
In the Panhandle, Hannah Robinson, of Alliance, graduated on behalf of the Box Butte Development Corporation; Bobbie Stuart, of Bayard graduated on behalf of Bayard Public Schools; and Jennifer Baumann, of Chadron, graduated on behalf of The Playschool.