Elm Creek Community Selected for Communities for Kids Initiative

The community of Elm Creek has recently been selected to be part of Nebraska Children and Families Foundation Communities for Kids, a state-wide initiative which supports young children, families and those providing their care.  The Communities for Kids initiative is a multi-year planning and implementation initiative that was created in response to community requests for assistance with shortages of high-quality early childhood care and education programs.  These shortages impact children’s optimal development and pose a challenge for communities hoping to attract and retain the viable workforce they need to thrive.

The Elm Creek community held its orientation for the Communities for Kids initiative on Tuesday, January 16th.  The orientation was attended by community members and leaders including representatives from the new formed childcare committee, the school, the village, and current childcare providers, along with representatives from the Nebraska Children and Families Foundation and the Buffalo County Community Partners.  Participants in the orientation discussed the importance of early childhood education and care and the vision for increased childcare for our community both in the short and long term.

In support of the participating communities, Communities for Kids will provide assistance and expertise to the community of Elm Creek with:

• Engaging stakeholders in identifying the strengths and gaps of the current early care and education resources in the community.
• Using informed decision-making to determine strategies for meeting the priority needs identified by the community and creating a business plan if needed.
• Connecting communities with experts and research, best practices, implementation, quality measurements, financing, use of government/public resources, and design, etc.
• Exploring and assisting communities with applying for all available sources of funding (private/public grants, public funding programs such as childcare subsidy, no- or low-interest loans, etc.).

“Communities for Kids is excited to work closely with Elm Creek community partners using a collective impact approach to address their quality early care and educational needs.  With this approach community partners will lead the way by determining their own needs and strengths while Communities for Kids provides support and technical assistance along the way.” said Shonna Werth, Associate Vice President of Early Childhood Programs at Nebraska Children and Families Foundation.

About Nebraska Children 
Nebraska Children and Families Foundation invests in children from birth to young adulthood with initiatives that are focused on preventing negative life outcomes. Nebraska Children does this by building strong communities that support families so their children can grow up to be thriving, productive adults.  By working with community partners to understand the risks facing children at every stage of their development, Nebraska Children can identify the most effective avenues to create positive change and help Nebraska’s most vulnerable citizens reach their full potential. To learn more about Nebraska Children’s work, visit www.NebraskaChildren.org.