Nebraska Children and Families Foundation has awarded Sherman County with two grant contracts totaling approximately $52,000 to support quality initiatives of child care and to build upon the need for child care capacity expansion. These funds were made available through PDG C4K + Planning (Preschool Development Grant, Communities for Kids +) and CRRSA (Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations) dollars that are aimed solely at increasing high quality licensed child care availability in communities where there simply aren't enough spots for the children who need them.
Communities were selected based on their high need for capacity building in early care and education, their involvement with the Communities for Kids initiative, and that have momentum already in place for community collaboration around their gap in available care.
Technical assistance for implementation and ongoing support will be provided by Nebraska Children and Families Foundation’s Communities for Kids initiative, which was created in response to community requests for assistance with addressing shortages and lack of accessibility to high-quality early childhood care and education programs in Nebraska communities. 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.
Community members interested in being a part of this community effort and conversation should contact Melissa Dush at 308-745-5040 or info@scedinc.org. Current child care providers in Sherman County will be included, since they know firsthand the challenges of operating this business in our community and have on the ground knowledge of what families are requesting.
“Our Sherman County team is excited to expand opportunities and address the capacity issues surrounding early childhood care in our county,” commented Melissa Dush, Sherman County Economic Development Director. “To attract and retain young families in our rural area this is an integral step to take. We look forward to seeing the positive impact on families of young children and the growth of our local economy. Quite simply, if there aren’t openings for quality child care it is hard for businesses to keep employees and attract new hires; especially those who have children below school age. Mainly due to the ever-rising cost of living, the vast majority of local families rely on dual income to make ends meet; therefore, it is important that child care is available throughout the workday.”
With a shared vision and goals on increasing child care quality and capacity, a strong team from various backgrounds, entities, and areas of expertise in our county was developed. This group of leaders is now formally known as the Sherman County Sprouts, Inc. Board of Directors. They are heading up a non-profit 501(c)3 focused on retaining and attracting families to live in Sherman County, and improving the quality of life through increased child care and educational opportunities. Current members include: Deb Obermiller, Stephanie Friesen, Sasha Habe, Clayton Suckstorf, Christy Hruza, and Melissa Dush. In addition to the Board of Directors they are growing a Core Team of individuals interested in the project. The Core Team is open to current and future parents, business owners, child care providers, and any other interested individuals. If you are looking to get involved in this exciting project, please reach out to any of the Board members above for more information.
A great deal of work has gone into the initial planning phase for a local child care center to begin addressing capacity concerns. Earlier this year, Sherman County allocated a portion of the ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) Funds to purchase an existing building at 120 North 6th Street. The building was then gifted to Sherman County Economic Development to renovate into a child care facility. Their team is working with a project manager and design professional that specializes in child care centers to make sure that all rules, regulations, and codes will be met with the final layout. In the near future Sherman County Sprouts will enter into the full fundraising portion of their timeline. Once the building renovation design and budget are in place, they will have a set monetary goal to achieve before renovations are able to begin. Therefore, when fundraising is in full swing, the sooner that the goal is achieved, the sooner they will be able to complete the renovations and open the doors to the “Sherman County Sprouts Child Care Center.”
The needs of current child care providers are at the forefront of this initiative too, without their full in-home programs the gap of children receiving care would be even higher, and more detrimental to our communities. There is no doubt that child care providers play an essential role in our communities, and should be supported in the work that they do. A portion of the grant that was awarded by the Nebraska Children and Families Foundation was allocated specifically for supporting the needs of current child care providers. A mini grant application will be available soon for providers to apply for these funds for necessary improvements for licensing requirements, training, and resources.
“Nebraska Children and Families Foundation’s Communities for Kids initiative is excited to continue their work with Sherman County, using a collective impact approach to address their child care capacity needs,” said Shonna Werth, Assistant Vice President of Early Childhood Programs at Nebraska Children and Families Foundation.
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.
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