Nebraska communities come together to expand early childhood education in state

KEARNEY – From Minden to Morrill and Valentine to Seward, communities across the state are coming together to solve a common problem.

The Knowledge Network for Early Childhood Education Workforce (KNEW) is a first-of-its-kind initiative aimed at increasing the recruitment and retention of early childhood educators in Nebraska, particularly in rural areas.

Led by the University of Nebraska at Kearney, Nebraska Extension and Communities for Kids, the program uses a collaborative approach to enhance and expand this essential workforce. Over the next two years, stakeholders from 17 counties throughout the state will join forces with the other project partners to craft innovative solutions, build local capacity and strengthen professional development opportunities for early childhood professionals.

KNEW project participants include:
•    Ainsworth
•    Albion/Boone County
•    Bridgeport
•    Buffalo County
•    Dawson County
•    Eustis/Elwood
•    Garfield/Loup Counties
•    Holdrege
•    Keith County
•    Minden
•    Morrill
•    North Platte
•    Pierce County
•    Seward County
•    Valentine/Cherry County

“We are incredibly excited to start working with these communities to expand and support the early childhood education workforce in our state,” said Philip Lai, an associate professor in the UNK College of Education. “High-quality early learning experiences are the foundation for lifelong success. By growing the number of skilled educators in Nebraska, we’re making a direct investment in children, families and the future of our communities. This is just the beginning of a transformational journey that will have a lasting impact for years to come.”

Supported by $2 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Education, the KNEW program officially launched in October during a celebration event on the UNK campus. Project partners started meeting about three months ago to develop long-term goals, share ideas and learn from one another.

Jonathan Jank, president and CEO of the Seward County Chamber and Development Partnership, was among the roughly 30 people in attendance during a recent gathering at UNK. He called early childhood education a “vital workforce development issue” that’s critical to the state’s success.

“The reality is, if we don’t have affordable, reliable child care, people can’t go to work every day,” Jank said.

According to a 2023 report from the nonprofit Voices for Children in Nebraska, 84 of the state’s 93 counties do not have enough spots in licensed child care facilities to meet the potential demand. Nine of those counties were classified as “child care deserts,” with no licensed facilities available for families living there.

Another survey from Nebraska Extension and We Care for Kids shows that almost a third of parents with children ages 5 and younger left the workforce because they couldn’t find affordable child care, and 74% of respondents believe a lack of quality, affordable child care and early learning is a serious problem in Nebraska.

More than 80% of those surveyed agree that Nebraskans must work together to address this issue.

Seward County is already part of Communities for Kids, an initiative of the nonprofit Nebraska Children and Families Foundation that works with 75 communities statewide to sustain and improve early childhood education. The KNEW program is another opportunity to connect with peers across the state and work toward a shared goal of improving access to high-quality early childhood education.

“At the end of the day, we’re all on Team Nebraska,” Jank said. “When we work together as neighbors, I’m confident that we’re going to win every time, because we’re going to glean from each other’s experiences, share our successes and find the right fit for our communities.”

In addition to creating a statewide network of stakeholders, the KNEW program includes funding for recruitment and retention initiatives and professional advancement activities. By creating a “teaching toolkit,” the project team aims to enhance pre-service and in-service training for early childhood educators and provide them with the resources they need to succeed.

“The biggest issue right now is that we’re seeing a lot of turnover,” Jank said. “The industry is maybe not being viewed as a destination, but we really need people to pour their careers into this area because it’s so vital. We’re hoping this program really creates that scalability for us so we can build this important workforce across the state.”