Communities for Kids

05/30/2026

What do Nebraska Public Power District and Communities for Kids have in common?

They know that investing in young children is an investment in thriving communities.

Catch the Thriving Children, Families, and Communities Conference on the Growing Small Town Nebraska Podcast this week!

Communities for Kids' Rachel Sissel and Nebraska Public Power District's Sara Groteluschen discuss how investing in child care and young children strengthens local economies, supports businesses, and helps communities thrive.

As host Sheila Jenkins puts it:

"When I am touring these small towns, I always want to know: what do they have for housing and what do they have for child care? Because those are indicators of a thriving community."

🎧 Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/1qZj6bKWsq0uyZHzaazfcU?si=e9f3f472919a4131

📅 Learn more about the conference and register for this free event on September 22:
https://thrivingchildrenconference.vfairs.com/

05/29/2026

05/27/2026

Give to Lincoln Day (May 28) is upon us. Now is the time to join us and our founding initiatives (Communities for Kids and First Five Nebraska) in taking the next step on our journey to build the systems and supports that will give our youngest kids the start they need and deserve.

Your gift matters. Let's move forward together. https://givetolincoln.com/nonprofits/early-futures-partnership

05/22/2026

1,166 new child care spots means 1,166 more opportunities for Nebraska parents to get to their jobs, knowing their kids are in good hands. That's the result of communities across Nebraska working alongside Early Futures Partnership's Communities for Kids initiative. Together, we're making the most of local resources and relationships—and putting homegrown solutions into practice.

Between now and May 28, you can support our efforts to help Nebraska families find child care that works for them. Every gift to Early Futures' Give to Lincoln Day campaign is proportionally matched, so your contribution goes even further: https://givetolincoln.com/nonprofits/early-futures-partnership

05/19/2026

As initiatives of Early Futures Partnership, First Five Nebraska and Communities for Kids advocate for policies that put meaningful relief within the reach of the families, programs and professionals who need it most. That's what happens when a deep knowledge of communities' early childhood needs informs determined policy action.

This Give to Lincoln Day, support the work that's moving the needle on the early childhood issues that affect Nebraskans in every part of the state. Your gift between now and May 28 unlocks a share of a $650,000 match fund and identifies you as a Founding Donor to Early Futures Partnership: https://givetolincoln.com/nonprofits/early-futures-partnership

05/18/2026

Registration is now open for the 2026 Thriving Children, Families, and Communities Conference!

This conference has become one of Nebraska’s go-to gatherings for conversations about children, families, workforce, education, and thriving communities.

Also: where else can you find early childhood leaders, business professionals, nonprofit teams, researchers, and economic developers all in the same room talking about solutions together?

📍 Kearney, Nebraska
📅 Sept. 22, 2026
💰 Free to attend

Register here: https://thrivingchildrenconference.vfairs.com/

05/15/2026

At Early Futures Partnership, we know sustainable solutions to local child care challenges don't happen without community insight, experience and innovation. Through our Communities for Kids initiative, we work alongside 89 community collaborations statewide—helping local leaders unlock the resources, relationships and ideas that drive right-sized solutions to their specific child care needs.

When communities have the right support, good things happen for children and families. This month, you can be part of that progress. Support Early Futures through Give to Lincoln Day to strengthen early care and education opportunities for all Nebraskans. Make your gift here: https://givetolincoln.com/nonprofits/early-futures-partnership

05/15/2026

IT'S FINALLY HERE!

Registration is officially OPEN for the 2026 Thriving Children, Families, and Communities Conference.

Join community advocates, business leaders, providers, nonprofits, researchers, economic developers, educators, and more from across Nebraska for a day full of ideas, connection, and conversations that address our most pressing early childhood challenges.

📍 Kearney, Nebraska
📅 Sept. 22, 2026
💰 Free to attend

Last year, nearly 500 people from 70 Nebraska counties joined us. This year? We’re building on that momentum.

Register here: https://thrivingchildrenconference.vfairs.com/

Cancelling your registration will remove your access to the event. If you proceed, you will no longer be able to participate or access event-related materials.

05/14/2026

TOMORROW!

Registration opens for the 2026 Thriving Children, Families, and Communities Conference.

📅 Mark your calendar. ⏰ Set an alarm. 🧵 Tie a string around your finger. Whatever it takes because you don’t want to miss this!

If you care about children, families, communities, workforce, education, economic vitality, and how they impact the future of Nebraska, you’ll want to be part of this conversation.

Stay tuned, share, and follow along! Registration will go live on the conference website tomorrow: https://thrivingchildrenconference.vfairs.com/

05/12/2026

What does meaningful policy change look like? It looks like thousands of Nebraska families becoming newly eligible for child care assistance they would not have been able to access before.

First Five Nebraska and Communities for Kids, Early Futures Partnership's founding initiatives, championed groundbreaking pieces of legislation that first changed income eligibility for child care assistance, then made those changes permanent. Help promote policy change that's making a real difference in Lincoln and throughout Nebraska by supporting Early Futures' Give to Lincoln Day campaign: https://givetolincoln.com/nonprofits/early-futures-partnership