Children at Play sign, (Brian Neben, Central Nebraska Today)
KEARNEY —Nearly 700 civic, business, education, health care, and government leaders from over 145 Nebraska communities are gathering today in Kearney for the seventh annual Thriving Children, Families, and Communities Conference focused on the importance of quality early childhood care and education in Nebraska.
The conference will give attendees the opportunity to hear from state and national leaders on early childhood education and care and its connection to local economic development and community vitality. The keynote speaker is Linda Smith, director of policy at the Buffett Early Childhood Institute at the University of Nebraska.
A national early childhood expert, Smith has worked in Tribal and military child care, was the deputy assistant secretary for early childhood development in the federal Administration for Children and Families (ACF), and previously served as director of the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Early Childhood Development Initiative. Learn more about Smith and her extensive background here.
She will provide examples of practical, proven approaches from around the country that have worked to increase the accessibility and affordability of quality child care, discuss the need to bring more leaders to the table to find solutions to early childhood challenges, and motivate attendees to seize the moment and encourage Nebraska leaders that the time to act is now.
In addition to the keynote, a panel of experts will discuss engaging broader voices, particularly from the business sector, in solving early childhood issues. Panelists include Bryan Slone, president, Nebraska Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Shoshanah Inwood, associate professor at The Ohio State University, and Sarah Vanover, policy and research director of Kentucky Youth Advocates.
“We as early childhood advocates, we can be talking about it, talking about it, and not be heard,” said Smith. “I do think we’ve got to open up and invite more people into this conversation and get a broader base of support. Let’s hear from the business community, the faith community, parents, health care.”
Recent surveys have shown that Nebraskans highly value early childhood education. Nearly 90% of Nebraskans believe that ensuring affordable, quality child care for working families is an important priority. In Nebraska, 72% of children under five years old have all available parents in the workforce.
Breakout sessions throughout the daylong event will focus on topics such as economic development and community vitality, early childhood research, innovative child care business models, and integrating the needs of families in rural areas into child care. We Care for Kids, a statewide campaign promoting the importance of quality and affordable early childhood education, will also present at the conference.
Attendance for the 2024 conference is more than double that of the inaugural 2018 conference and has attracted national attention. The growth demonstrates the importance of and increasing demand for quality early childhood care and education programs.
This year’s event is sponsored by the Buffett Early Childhood Fund, Buffett Early Childhood Institute, Nebraska Children and Families Foundation, Nebraska Association of County Officials, Nebraska Early Childhood Collaborative, Sixpence, We Care for Kids, First Five Nebraska, Nebraska Business Development Center, Nebraska Department of Economic Development, the Dollywood Foundation/Dolly Parton Imagination Library, Nebraska Association of School Boards, and Panhandle Partnership, Inc.
For more information and to view a full conference agenda, visit thrivingchildrenconference.com/2024. A full press kit is also available upon request.
