LINCOLN- According to a survey conducted by We Care for Kids and the Nebraska Extension early childhood development arm, more than 80% of Nebraskans agree that state lawmakers should support child care and early learning programs just as much as they do for K-12 schooling and higher education. Roughly the same proportion believe lawmakers should make child care and early learning a higher priority than it is today.

Results from the survey, which interviewed roughly 501 registered voters representing different areas of the state, are to be distributed to legislators and policymakers in an effort to call for increase attention to affordable and quality child care services, said Claire Wiebe of We Care for Kids. Wiebe said that many communities across Nebraska are working to improve access to affordable child care and early learning programming, but that they "can't do it alone."

"Clearly, there is a strong desire to fix Nebraska's child care crisis and for state government to do its part," she said of the survey. Wiebe also pointed out that some positive movement was made during the most recent legislative session, including the passage of an amended LB856, which changed a Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services rule that prohibited some child care providers from receiving free child care assistance for their own children.

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