Scroll down to review and select a breakout session to attend. Breakout sessions will begin at 10:00 a.m. and will be repeated at 11:00 a.m. Use the Enter Session buttons to access the breakout sessions on Monday, September 27.
Title
Description
Link
Leveraging New and Evolving Policies and Funds to
Support Local Child Care
The critical need for early childhood care and education has
been elevated at federal, state, and local levels, leading to
unprecedented emphasis and powerful new funding possibilities
for communities such as the American Rescue Plan. Learn what
these evolving financial incentives and new funding
opportunities mean, and how to access and leverage them to
support your local child care needs.
Safer Communities, Brighter Futures
Fight Crime Invest in Kids – a national bipartisan
membership organization of over 5,000 police chiefs, sheriffs
and prosecutors – will host a panel discussion focused on law
enforcement's support for evidence-based high-quality early
childhood programs. Research shows that these early years can
set the foundation for school success, reduce involvement in the
criminal justice system, and improve public safety. These
critical assets promote social and economic opportunity as safer
communities are more likely to retain and attract residents,
skilled workers, and business/industry.
Community-Centered Solutions to Increase Child Care Availability
Community leaders across Nebraska are implementing
innovative solutions to address their critical local need for
child care. This breakout session will showcase success stories,
such as Gothenburg's school-city-hospital interlocal agreement
and the Columbus Community Hospital Child Care Center.
Quality Early Care and Education Revisited: What It Means
and What It Takes
Early childhood programs are often designed and developed
without input from families, professionals, and communities.
This can negatively impact equitable access to quality early
care and education for children. This session will look at
how Nebraska defines quality and share a number of
principles and processes that can help your community's
early childhood settings ensure that each child and family
thrives.
Diapers to Diplomas
Learn more about "Rule 11" and how Shickley leveraged
Nebraska's Department of Education regulations to transform
a child care desert in rural Nebraska. Hear from a
superintendent and a school board member about how
innovative thinking and the Diapers to Diplomas program
have helped the school remain an active and vibrant resource
in the community.
Innovative Ways to Support the Community Child Care Workforce
Join Nebraska community representatives and the Nebraska
Early Childhood Collaborative to find new ways to support
the early child care workforce. Hear specific examples,
including hosting monthly provider meetings for networking,
identifying new training opportunities, providing stipends
for training, and offering support for centers and in-home
providers.
Nebraska Early Childhood Strategic Plan: Collaborating
Across Communities
The Nebraska Early Childhood Strategic Plan is a dynamic
plan developed by and for Nebraskans to provide all children
and their families with access to quality early childhood
services that support children's healthy development from
birth through age 8. Join the conversation to learn how
the strategic plan will support communities in coordinating
local resources and build capacity to meet the needs of
families and children.
Community Storytelling
Representatives from three Nebraska communities will share
their early childhood journey and how they developed their
unique story. The focus will include lessons learned,
successes, and challenges that were encountered along the
way. The panelists will share their creation of community
storyboards and recap what was learned over a yearlong
storytelling webinar series.
Understanding Fundraising Basics
Successful fundraising requires much more than "making an
ask." Hear from philanthropy experts and learn about
researching potential funders, building relationships,
asking questions, understanding key terms, and delivering a
well-constructed proposal.
Exploring Factors Beyond Economic Investment that Influence Community Vitality
Wondering what factors beyond fiscal investment create
communities were people want to live, work, and play? Join
folks from the University of Nebraska Medical Center,
University of Nebraska–Lincoln Native American Coalition,
UNL College of Education and Human Sciences, and Nebraska
Extension’s Latino Small Business Program who will share
their experience and knowledge about how factors like
culture, small businesses, mental health, and wellbeing
influence community vitality. Then, connect with fellow
attendees to discuss why communities are a complex network
of people, partnerships, organizations, and relationships.