In the wake of a nationwide early child care crisis, about a hundred people came together at the second annual Early Childhood Summit on Wednesday to discuss what Lincoln can do to address and solve the issue through the power of partnership.
The event, hosted by local nonprofit Lincoln Littles and the Lincoln Community Foundation, featured keynote speaker Cathrine Aasen Floyd with the national organization Trust For Learning, as well as a panel of local professionals.
On average, families in Lincoln pay anywhere from $10,000 to $13,000 per child each year for child care, and data from Lincoln Littles shows that there are more than 900 children currently on waitlists.
While Lincoln Littles is actively advocating for more child care opportunities and to ensure every child has access to early care and education, Executive Director Anne Brandt said it would take about $17 million to reach that goal.
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“It's a heavy lift,†Brandt said. “And philanthropy can't do it alone.â€
Aasen Floyd, who has more than 30 years of experience in early education, said Lincoln has done a lot of things right when it comes to addressing the child care crisis, like using relief funding from the pandemic in ways that benefit children and families, which isn’t something every city has done.
But the federal funding ended in September and it’s now up to community leaders to find local solutions, she said, which needs to happen quickly to ensure no child is left behind.
“Every cohort of children that we miss is a cohort we never get again. And we know how much kids learn before they're 5, 6, 7, 8 years old,†she said. “This is urgent. We need to get to those kids now.â€
However, the problem goes deeper than high prices and a lack of availability. The child care workforce is struggling, too.
Lameakia Collier, the workforce development program administrator for Lincoln Littles and a member of the panel, identified low wages, inadequate onboarding opportunities, not having a sense of community and feeling overwhelmed or stressed as a few reasons why people are leaving jobs in child care.
“If you don't have a livable wage, of course it's going to impact your wellness and your well-being,†she said. “Or if you're worried about your own food security, housing and how you are going to get gas to get to work.â€
Kayla Munoz, the owner of Las Abejitas Bilingual Education Center in Lincoln, said the opportunity to partner with fellow local entities has been a big reason for her success so far.
Munoz's child care center is inside First Lutheran Church at 1551 S. 70th St., which has allowed her to further connect with the community. She has also begun presenting at local high schools about the importance of child care and what it’s like to run a bilingual center in an effort to cast a wider net.
Additionally, she works closely with Lincoln Littles and has sent employees to participate in the organization’s Childcare Teacher Foundation Class. Those who complete the class receive a stipend to cover child care for their own children, which has played a big role in Munoz’s ability to recruit and retain employees, she said.
“Opening and running a child care center is hard work,†she said. “It takes a lot of help from outside sources, too. It really does take a village.â€
In the past month, two child care centers have closed in Lincoln, and two more are possibly planning to close soon, according to Lincoln Littles. Munoz said she believes that more scholarship opportunities and public and private partnerships could help centers avoid closure in the future.
“Nobody gets into child care to (make a lot of money), but we do need money to survive,†Munoz said. “It's financially very hard to keep afloat as a child care center.â€
The child care industry can have an impact on other industries, too. A lack of available child care can deter people from accepting certain jobs or entering the workforce entirely, which is something city officials are looking to address.
The expansion of early child care and education was highlighted as a key initiative of Vitality Lincoln, the city’s economic strategic plan. Jason Ball, president of the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce, said the chamber's current primary goal is to look at what resources are available to businesses when it comes to child care and take inventory of what local businesses are already providing to employees.
“(Child care) is understood to be a business issue — there is no question about that,†he said. “And broadly speaking within the business community, we've received very, very little pushback about that.â€
Public policy can also have a big impact on child care and early education, according to Mike Feeken with First Five Nebraska. Normally, he said they closely watch three or four bills related to child care during the legislative session, but this year they have about 15 on their list.
While there is no certainty yet that any of the bills will be passed, Ball added that he expects there to be some success with child care-related bills this year.
“I would be very surprised if we get to the end of this 60-day session and we have not seen something come out with a very exciting new gubernatorial signature on it,†he said.
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