Maximizing parent and family choice and knowledge about the state's mixed delivery system of existing programs and providers by expanding the state's efforts to:
- Ensure families are provided information about the quality (e.g., through inspection reports, QRIS ratings, etc.) and variety of early childhood education programs including health, mental health and family support for children from birth into kindergarten entry;
- Promote nurturing parent-child interactions, family and community protective factors and increase involvement by parents and family members of low-income and disadvantaged children in transitions between the various early childhood care and education programs and services.
Specific Parent Related Activities
Learning Begins at Birth is a material resource that provides information about child development and how to nurture it; parent-child interactions that build social emotional mental health; what quality child care is and how to find it; children’s health; and services available to children and parents.
Getting Ready is an evidence-based initiative focused on interaction among children, their families, and early childhood professionals to promote parent-child interaction and parent-professional partnerships. Getting Ready promotes kindergarten transition by helping parents become more confident in working with educational systems.
Ready Rosie is an evidence-based, birth to elementary age family engagement resource that provides English and Spanish videos to families via text, email, and a website, letting educators target specific skills and individualize the videos to be shared with parents of their students and can also be used to provide interactive family workshops or to support a cohesive family engagement plan.
The Nebraska Early Childhood Campaign is designed to support public awareness efforts that center on educating parents and families about quality child care and education programs and services in ways that are accessible, digitally driven, culturally and linguistically appropriate, and responsive to how today’s parents receive information and make decisions.
The Coordinated Enrollment Pilot Expansion is a pilot, operating through the Nebraska Early Childhood Collaborative, and uses shared services principles to increase high-quality early learning opportunities by providing coordinated application, eligibility, and enrollment for three high-quality early learning centers serving at-risk infants and toddlers through an Early Head Start-Child Care partnership.
Help Me Grow uses effective universal early screening to link expectant mothers and children 0-5 with essential health, developmental, and social-emotional services. It includes outreach to families and providers, including physicians, and a centralized point of communication using phone technologies, trained Care Coordinators, and a self-care referral platform which Early Child Care Educators and other health and human services professionals can use to better connect families to needed services. Learn more about Help Me Grow.
Childcare Essentials develops a resource for families about early care and education for children, the importance of quality care, and how to locate quality care based on the needs of their child and family. The new guide, “Childcare Essentials”: Choosing Quality Childcare in Nebraska,” will replace a longstanding “The Right Place” brochure and booklet that Nebraska has used for this purpose.
The Preschool Development Grant in Nebraska supports a coordinated approach to early childhood education by connecting families with a wide range of programs and providers. Through this effort, parents are introduced to options that include health services, mental health supports, and early care settings designed to nurture children from infancy through the start of kindergarten. The goal is to make the mixed delivery system easier to understand and navigate so that families can make informed decisions that align with their unique circumstances and values.
A central focus of the initiative is promoting strong parent-child interactions and encouraging family and community protective factors. By offering resources that highlight responsive caregiving and meaningful involvement, the program helps parents and family members become active partners in their children's early development. This emphasis on engagement is particularly important for households that may have historically faced barriers to accessing high-quality early childhood services, including families in both urban and rural parts of the state.
Transparency is another key element of the grant's work with parents. The effort encourages the sharing of information about program quality through tools such as inspection reports and quality rating systems. When families can easily see how programs are performing, they are better equipped to choose settings that support their child's growth in safety, learning, and overall well-being. This commitment to clear, accessible information builds trust between providers and the communities they serve.
The grant also recognizes that parents benefit from a broad network of supports beyond the classroom. Family services, community partnerships, and connections to resources that address basic needs all play a role in helping young children thrive. By bringing these supports together, the initiative aims to create a more seamless experience for families, reducing the need to navigate complicated systems on their own while strengthening the protective environment in which children grow and learn.
Ultimately, the parent knowledge and choice workstream reflects a belief that families are essential partners in early childhood education. When parents are informed and supported, children are more likely to enter school ready to learn and succeed. The Preschool Development Grant continues to invest in strategies that respect family voice, expand access to information, and build a stronger foundation for the youngest members of Nebraska's communities.
