McCook awarded grant for local Communities for Kids Initiative

McCOOK, Neb. -- The McCook Community for Kids group has recently been awarded $15,000 from Nebraska Children and Families Foundation to continue their initiative work. McCook and 28 other communities across the state of Nebraska were granted funds to support their local initiatives. Communities for Kids 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 also pose a challenge for communities hoping to attract and retain the viable workforce they need to thrive.

Nebraska Children and Families Foundation has provided technical assistance to the McCook Community for Kids group for a couple years. With this assistance, the McCook team partnered with the University of Nebraska to administer a community early childhood education survey and then create programs to improve early childhood education in the community. The initial initiatives were meant to improve access to early childhood education in the area with an emphasis on infants. Andy Long, Executive Director of McCook Economic Development Corporation and McCook Community for Kids member said, “We saw how the lack of childcare options were affecting parents’ ability to go back to work. Thanks to the assistance of Nebraska Children and Families Foundation, we have created programs that have created or retained over 60 spots for early childhood education and grown approximately 10 new infant spots in the community.”

“Nebraska Children and Families Foundation, Communities for Kids is excited to continue their work with the McCook community partners using a collective impact approach to address their quality early care and educational needs. They have implemented new and innovating processes to support the need for infant care and provide incentives for those who are interested in opening/operating a child care facility which in turn has begun to address local needs identified in their earlier work”, said Shonna Werth, Associate Vice President of Early Childhood Programs at  Nebraska Children and Families Foundation.      

The McCook Community for Kids group is looking to aid and support for local childcare providers to help improve the quality of early childhood education with the most recent grant. The group continues to meet monthly to develop and implement strategies to improve childcare access and quality. If you would be interested in becoming involved, please contact Long at McCook Economic Development Corporation at 308-345-1200.

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.