In 2014, hundreds of community conversations responding to Lincoln Vital Signs data identified Lincoln’s youngest residents as a top priority. Prosper Lincoln was formed, and its work in Early Childhood began. Since then, the focus area has made significant strides – like establishing the Lincoln Early Childhood Network in 2019 and Lincoln Littles in 2020 – to expand opportunities for all children ages birth to five.
Building off this success, the newly formed Early Childhood workgroup for Prosper Lincoln 3.0 is focused on fostering collaboration across systems to address the diverse needs of families, expanding awareness of resources that empower caregivers and increasing access to adequate prenatal care.
As the only focus area included in all three iterations of Prosper Lincoln, the Early Childhood workgroup’s beliefs remain steady: every child deserves a strong start and every family deserves the support to make that possible.
“This work reflects what we know to be true – Lincoln’s future is shaped by the experiences of our youngest residents, and we want to set them up for success,” said Amanda Barker, director of community engagement and partnerships at Lincoln Community Foundation. “The Early Childhood workgroup will help turn current momentum into meaningful action that expands access, supports families and creates systematic change.”
As Prosper Lincoln 3.0 moves forward, the Early Childhood Workgroup will align partners to elevate community-driven solutions and advance strategies that enhance equitable access to quality early childhood experiences.
We are excited to announce the folks coming together to focus on the social, emotional, physical and educational well-being of Lincoln’s youngest residents:
- Anne Brandt, Lincoln Littles
- Ali Bousquet, Lincoln City Libraries
- Amanda Barker, Lincoln Community Foundation
- Maja Cartwright, BraveBe Child Advocacy Center ACEs
- Kristen Derr, United Way, Lancaster Connected
- Prudence Devney, Lincoln Early Childhood Network & Malone Community Center
- Jessica Murphy, Parent Advocate
- Paige Piper, BraveBe Child Advocacy Center
- Renae Reif, Lincoln/Lancaster County Health Department
- Suzanne Schneider, Lincoln Littles
- John Skretta, Lincoln Public Schools
The Early Childhood workgroup’s first conversations were centered around the question: “What strategies will allow for more of Lincoln’s children to have a quality early childhood experience?”
While this question sparked ideas for long-term systems change, it also created space to identify real-time opportunities for impact.
With the Nebraska legislation session active during the workgroup’s early conversations and a critical child care bill up for debate, members rallied around LB304 supporting the thousands of families that rely on it.
“When I learned LB304 passed, I felt relief and hope,” said Anne Brandt, Early Childhood driver and executive director for Lincoln Littles. “It shows what’s possible when communities and policymakers come together to support our littlest learners.”
This important and hard-won step forward was only the beginning. In their initial meetings, members of the Early Childhood workgroup focused on ways they could impact three key groups that make up Lincoln’s early childhood landscape:
For children, the workgroup highlighted opportunities for improving physical spaces within existing child care facilities by recognizing the role these environments play in supporting children’s health and learning outcomes. There was also robust discussion surrounding central and coordinated navigation of family support systems and what it would take to implement a shared intake system.
For caregivers, members identified the importance of workforce supports – such as funding, development and coaching – as foundational to championing early childhood providers and the families they care for.
For community, the group emphasized value for increased awareness of early childhood education, advocacy and trauma-informed approaches to strengthen the networks that make it easier for families to access and navigate the support they need.
While this work is still evolving, these early conversations are helping build a more connected, responsive approach for Lincoln’s youngest residents, the people who care for them and the communities they call home.
You can jump into making a difference in the Early Childhood focus area by:
- Building knowledge about adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and advancing efforts to reduce them.
- Supporting healthy routines and relationships for young children – like sleep, nutrition, connection and play – that build lifelong emotional wellbeing.
- Becoming a Family-friendly Workplace to attract and sustain an inclusive local workforce.
- Promoting the Assistance Eligibility Calculator – a tool that offers a quick income-based check to help families understand possible child care support options.
- Donating to the Prosper Lincoln Early Education fund to support these efforts.
Stay connected: Sign up for Prosper Lincoln updates on Connections, Housing and Early Childhood.
Share your story: Use #ProsperLincoln and tag @ProsperLincoln on Facebook.
Partner up: Reach out to Lincoln Community Foundation and explore how your organization can get involved.