Nebraska
Working families in Nebraska need accessible, affordable, quality child care and early learning opportunities for their children.
Currently, federal and state early learning programs reach thousands of young children and their families in Nebraska. But too many working families in Nebraska are missing out. As a direct result of child care issues, the Nebraska economy loses millions of dollars each year in the form of lost earnings, productivity, and revenue.
In the state, 72% of children have all available parents participating in the workforce, while the average cost of care is $18,147 a year (or $1,512 per month).
More than 5,000 children ages 5 and under have child care costs subsidized through the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), or 13% of those eligible. The average copay with a CCDBG subsidy is $290 a month.
5.5K children receive care, learning, nutrition, and other services at no cost through Early Head Start/Head Start (or 21% of those eligible for Early Head Start and 34% of those eligible for Head Start).
And 49.1K working families have the cost of their child care offset through the Child + Dependent Care Tax Credit (CDCTC).
However, many working parents still struggle to access affordable, quality child care, which costs the state’s economy an estimated $1.0 billion each year in lost earnings and productivity.
Nebraska: In the Headlines
Bipartisan Senate group releases bill to help increase affordable child care
NBC News | September 17, 2025
The new legislation seeks to address rising child care costs by granting funding to states to help families who currently make too much money to qualify for assistance.
‘It is everything’: Parents, advocates say Head Start offers more than child care
Nebraska Public Media | jUNE 11, 2025
The CCDBG Reauthorization Act is one step toward alleviating the child care crisis. I’ll keep working with my colleagues in Congress to pass this bill and support our parents, child care providers, and kids.
Nebraska researchers focus on early childhood educator shortage
KMA Land | September 14, 2025
Researchers and students at the University of Nebraska are addressing a critical shortage of early childhood educators, especially in rural parts of the state.
Nebraska Resources & News
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Highlights from Senate Appropriations hearing on White House FY24 request
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FFYF’S 2023 State Fact Sheets
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FFYF’s 2022 Child Care & Early Learning State Fact Sheets
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2021 State Fact Sheets: Examining the Impact and Unmet Need of Federal & State ECE Funding
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Nebraska — Federal Support for Early Learning & Care Opportunities
High-quality early childhood education is proven to dramatically improve a child’s opportunities for a better future—particularly children from low-income families—while offering parents improved job stability and overall economic security. To …
FFYF Releases State Fact Sheets, Highlighting Unique Local Landscapes
This summer, FFYF released updated state fact sheets, which draw on numerous data sources to offer details about the early childhood opportunities in each state made possible through federal and state …
Nebraska: Federal Support for Early Learning & Care Opportunities
High-quality early childhood education is proven to dramatically improve a child’s opportunities for a better future—particularly children from low-income families—while offering parents improved job stability and overall economic security. To …
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Nebraska: Federal Support for Early Learning & Care Opportunities
High-quality early childhood education is proven to dramatically improve a child’s opportunities for a better future—particularly children from low-income families—while offering parents improved job stability and overall economic security. To …
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