Communities for Kids partners with communities’
public and private entities to support and coordinate planning for
access to high-quality early care and education for all children birth
through age eight. These partnerships are customized to address each
community’s unique assets and needs—so each community can grow and
prosper well into the future.
The initiative is a community-based engagement process designed to
assist in the development of right-sized solutions for communities
selected to participate in the program. Over a two-year period, selected
communities will increase the focus on opportunities and challenges
they are facing with enhancing and expanding child care opportunities.
(Nebraska Children) will provide expertise and coordination to support
communities using a place-based collective impact approach:
ENGAGE stakeholders in identifying the
strengths and gaps of the current whole-child, early care, and education
resources in the community by completing a thorough data study and
community assessment/survey.
UTILIZE informed decision-making to determine
strategies and desired outcomes most relevant to meeting the priority
needs identified in the community assessment and detail a community
action plan. Whenever possible this will be completed in coordination
with existing planning efforts and groups to maximize local resources.
CONNECT communities through peer learning networks
regarding research, best practice, program implementation, quality
measurements, financing, use of government/public resources, and
physical environmental designs.
EXPLORE and assist communities with identifying
and applying for all available sources of funding (public and private
grants, public funding programs) to implement and sustain the identified
strategies.