Communities for Kids partners with communities’ public and private entities to support and coordinate planning for access to high-quality early care and education for all children birth through age eight. These partnerships are customized to address each community’s unique assets and needs—so each community can grow and prosper well into the future.

The initiative is a community-based engagement process designed to assist in the development of right-sized solutions for communities selected to participate in the program. Over a two-year period, selected communities will increase the focus on opportunities and challenges they are facing with enhancing and expanding child care opportunities.

(Nebraska Children) will provide expertise and coordination to support communities using a place-based collective impact approach:

ENGAGE stakeholders in identifying the strengths and gaps of the current whole-child, early care, and education resources in the community by completing a thorough data study and community assessment/survey.

UTILIZE informed decision-making to determine strategies and desired outcomes most relevant to meeting the priority needs identified in the community assessment and detail a community action plan. Whenever possible this will be completed in coordination with existing planning efforts and groups to maximize local resources.

CONNECT communities through peer learning networks regarding research, best practice, program implementation, quality measurements, financing, use of government/public resources, and physical environmental designs.

EXPLORE and assist communities with identifying and applying for all available sources of funding (public and private grants, public funding programs) to implement and sustain the identified strategies.