In 2020 the state launched a task force to study the redesign of Nebraska’s Early Childcare governance structure and relevant financing mechanisms. The goal of the Task Force is to achieve a fully funded and aligned system to ensure access to full-day, year-round, high-quality early care and education for children regardless of the setting and experiences parents choose.
The Task Force has established two workgroups to carry out the Task Force’s preliminary recommendations.
- Financing Strategies & Funding Mechanisms;
- Shared Leadership Structure.
Read the full Shared Leadership and Financing Report
Overarching Recommendation
Using the Nebraska Early Childhood Governance and Financing Task Force charter as a framework, design and utilize a Nebraska-specific, public-private hybrid model as the vehicle for shared leadership and financing full-day, year-round, high quality early care and education for children 0-5 regardless of the setting parents choose.
Path to Accomplishing Recommendation
1. Establish the shared leadership model by updating existing early childhood statutes.
- Ensure scope of services prenatal-age 5 with considerations/guidelines for prenatal-age 8.
- Ensure the shared leadership model is representative of strategic partners (i.e., parents, Department of Health & Human Services, Department of Education, Department of Economic Development, Department of Labor, business partners, HS/EHS, etc).
- Decide how membership is determined (i.e., appointed by Governor, Legislature).
2. Develop, formalize and maintain an approach that represents all funding sources and others as defined.
3. Develop a model that will coordinate funding to create opportunities to braid/blend while demonstrating compliance with all funding source requirements.
4. Formalize existing interagency agreements across NDHHS, NDE, NDED, and NDOL for shared implementation and decision making on common standards, aligned regulations and eligibility, data and data systems, implementation, and accountability.
Functions of the shared leadership/financing model:
1. Coordinate funding to create opportunities to braid/blend and address strategies to integrate additional funding sources.
2. Implement, maintain, and evaluate the fiscal approach.
3. Maintain a CQI approach using data on outcomes and program impact to guide decisions and support systemic activities that guide quality and capacity.
4. Demonstrate compliance with all funding source requirements.
5. Be accountable to the EC system and its stakeholders in terms of quality, equity, and outcomes.
6. Hold programs/services accountable for their performance.
Contact: Amy Bornemeier
