Nebraska child care providers could receive $92 million in federal funds

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — Nebraska, like many other states, struggles with a lack of affordable child care.

That is why the White House is looking to expand child care funding for states.

It is requesting an additional $16 billion for child care stabilization grants, which includes $92 million for providers in Nebraska.

The money would go to 2,270 licensed providers in our state.

If approved, the money could be used for wages, employee benefits, rent and utilities. 

The federal government said it could help more than 100,000 children in Nebraska. 

“It’s critical to be able to make sure that those providers can continue to pay their employees, and those employees are the ones that are providing the care and educating Nebraska’s young children,” said Jason Prokop, director of First Five Nebraska, which advocates for early childhood care.

These grants started during the pandemic, and local organizations said they’ve been vital, especially for keeping up with staff wages. 

“We were able to see a handful of providers be able to expand or open,” said Anne Brandt, executive director of Lincoln Littles, a nonprofit seeking to expand early childhood care in the Capital City.

Lincoln Littles said there is still more that needs to be done like permanent investment. 

“We really need to recognize child care as a public good, just as we recognize our K-12 as a public good,” Brandt said.  

The request for the funds is in its initial stages. It will have to go through Congress. 

Rep. Mike Flood said child care is a priority for Nebraska. But he did not specify if he will support the proposal. 

“Affordable childcare is a critical priority for growing our workforce,” he said in a statement. “This approach, however, needs to be studied deeply before the federal government would write a check for billions of dollars to ensure any federal action actually works and doesn’t make Biden’s inflation problem worse.”