Communities for Kids

10/15/2026

In case you missed it, all the great resources, updates and opportunities to connect through First Five Nebraska and Communities for Kids are now in one place!

Explore their new online home with Early Futures Partnership at earlyfutures.org!

We're excited to share some big news: First Five Nebraska has a new home!

Beginning this week, all the features and resources housed on First Five Nebraska's website have officially moved to our new online location on the Early Futures Partnership website at earlyfutures.org.

You'll still find all the FFN tools and information you rely on—including our public policy updates, child care affordability calculator, blog and more—now alongside information about our sister initiative, Communities for Kids.

Visit FFN at our new home at earlyfutures.org and explore the work we're doing to build stronger systems to support young children and families.

10/14/2026

Wow! It’s hard to believe this year’s Thriving Children, Families and Communities Conference is behind us. But even though the day is over, we continue to hear stories from connections made, from lessons learned, and from opportunities discovered.

Will we see you for our TENTH YEAR?!
Save the date: Tuesday, September 21
(P.S. – See someone you know? Tag ‘em so they don’t miss this video!)

Click below to watch this year’s conference video, created by the fantastic B&B Productions!

Learn from participants at the 2026 Thriving Children, Families, an...

09/25/2026

We love seeing the posts from !

One of our favorite parts after the Thriving Children, Families, and Communities Conference is seeing everyone’s unique photos, takeaways, and experiences from the day.

The photo board captures the conference through the eyes of those who attended, from sessions and speakers to conversations, connections, and moments throughout the day.

Take a look at the photo board:
https://app.kululu.com/s/ufn69f

Keep sharing! What was a favorite part of the day? A moment that stood out? A connection made or an idea that stuck? Share it and help us continue capturing the many experiences of .

09/24/2026

The conference may be over, but we have so many more stories to share.

This week, media outlets from across Nebraska helped extend the reach of the Thriving Children, Families, and Communities Conference, sharing the people, ideas, and important early childhood issues highlighted throughout the day.

We’re grateful to the reporters and outlets who joined us and helped bring these stories to audiences across the state.

Check out some of the coverage from :

🔗 Channel 8 News KLKN TV Lincoln
https://www.klkntv.com/500-nebraskans-meet-to-address-child-care-challenges/

🔗 Kearney Hub
https://kearneyhub.com/news/article_0de13e67-53f9-4b6e-bce9-b0833073922b.html

🔗 KETV NewsWatch 7
https://www.ketv.com/article/new-statewide-campaign-aims-to-expand-access-to-child-care-in-nebraska/73843454?utm_campaign=snd-autopilot&fbclid=IwY2xjawUgJnRwZG9mBWV4dG4DYWVtAjEwAGJyaWQRMXRVMDROaEFtZThiUEEyNGJzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeAriGskLLOKPqT8_o2XZypYhStR9EklEnaaOgrTI5Dg-w27tNKofLEIW2eGw_aem_0I0IK7Jth68UsNZNBCjPrw

🔗 NTV News
https://nebraska.tv/news/local/nebraska-child-care-advocates-launch-statewide-push-for-more-public-investment

🔗 Omaha World-Herald
https://omaha.com/news/state-regional/nebraska/article_f509b077-6b17-5188-9047-0d173b2ee46e.html

🔗 Lincoln Journal Star
https://journalstar.com/news/state-regional/nebraska/article_319bddd3-eefa-5c55-aef5-befc6529882a.html -source=home-the-latest

🔗 News Channel Nebraska
https://central.newschannelnebraska.com/story/364065398/child-care-leaders-gather-in-kearney-for-statewide-conference

🔗 KSNB Local4
Post Conference Broadcast

And stay tuned. We have so much more to share!

09/23/2026

And just like that, our 2026 C4K Convening comes to a close!
We’re grateful to everyone who joined us to learn, share ideas, explore collective impact and strengthen the connections that help communities move forward. We hope you’re heading home with a wealth of new information, fresh ideas, meaningful connections—and renewed energy for putting them into action in your community. Thank you for being part of the conversation and, more importantly, part of the work we do for our kids and families.

09/23/2026

Our 2026 Convening continues with a 3-session interactive journey through C4K’s approach to collective impact—from principles to practice to real-world application. We explored the importance of establishing a unified agenda, identifying common indicators, coordinating the needs and goals of multiple community partners, and maintaining clear, consistent communication. Then we put those principles into practice, working through sample community scenarios to identify shared goals, the right partners and actionable strategies for moving issues forward. Now, we’re turning our attention to how these principles could be applied in our own communities—and the challenges and opportunities involved in putting collective impact into action.

09/23/2026

Paul Schmitz of the Collective Impact Forum kicks off the Communities for Kids 2026 Convening by expanding on his Thriving Children Conference keynote, challenging us to think about why efforts to create population-level change can fail, and what elements are necessary to drive authentic collective impact. So much of our success depends on sticking to a shared strategy, developing workgroups with real action in mind, and building a culture of transparency, belonging and accountability.

09/23/2026

Thriving Children 2026 may be over, but Communities for Kids' annual Convening in Kearney is just getting started with a special evening session inspired by "Shark Tank." Teams are challenged to take on a key child care challenge in Nebraska, work up a creative solution in 15 minutes(!), pitch it to a panel of experts and defend their idea to the best of their ability. The pressure's on and the creative juices are flowing fast!

09/22/2026

And Thriving Children 2026 draws to a close with Early Futures Partnership's Marti Beard leading us in a heartfelt celebration of the career and achievements of Dr. Gladys Haynes, Director of Nebraska Early Learning Initiatives at the Buffett Early Childhood Fund. We can't think of a better way to put a bow on this year's conference than to echo Gladys's words of encouragement: "Make AMAZING happen across our great state!"

09/22/2026

Our afternoon Thriving Children sessions featured a special panel discussion with State Senators Jason Prokop (Dist. 27 - moderator), Jana Hughes (Dist. 24), Mike Jacobson (Dist. 42) and Dan Quick (Dist. 35) on the importance of prioritizing child care investments in a challenging fiscal environment.