Child care shortages can affect economic development and have a broad impact beyond the family, and communities need to address these issues with right-sized solutions that meet the unique aspects of the community. Nebraska Children and Families Foundation (Nebraska Children) can offer expertise and resources that a community may not otherwise have access to.

The Communities for Kids initiative is a community-based engagement process designed to assist in the development of these right-sized solutions for communities selected to participate in the program. Over an 18- to 36-month period, selected communities will increase the focus on opportunities and challenges they are facing with enhance and expanded child care opportunities.

Through the Communities for Kids initiative, Nebraska Children helps facilitate the conversation and provides expertise, tools, and resources to the community to support the creation and implementation of solutions to support and strengthen the current child care workforce and address child care shortages in communities using a collective impact approach.