Helpful Early Childhood links

Help Me Grow Nebraska – Help Me Grown Nebraska connects families to the community resources they need so young children can thrive. They maximize early childhood systems in healthcare, education, and family services.

Step Up to Quality – Step Up to Quality helps great child care providers become even better. If you see that a child care provider is enrolled in Step Up to Quality, you know that they are committed to being the very best.

Lancaster County Health Department – We work with our partners to assure a healthy community for the residents of Lincoln and Lancaster County.

Nebraska Child Care Referral Network – locate licensed child care providers across the state. Providers include both family care and center-based care and are available for children from birth through age 12.

MyLNK – The MyLNK app provides a free, one-stop guide of participating cities’ resources for people in need. This app makes it easy for families, case managers, and agencies to learn about, connect, and utilize services.

National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies (NACCRA) – is our nation’s leading voice for child care. We work with more than 700 state and local Child Care Resource and Referral agencies nationwide. These agencies help ensure that families in 99 percent of all populated ZIP codes in the United States have access to high-quality, affordable child care.

Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) – State department page with resources, providers, and important information to help you make informed decisions about your child’s care.

DHHS Child Care Subsidy – DHHS may be able to help families with the cost of child care through the Child Care Subsidy Program. DHHS will review a number of factors, such as earned income (e.g. wages) and unearned income (e.g. child support, Social Security payments, and Unemployment Insurance).

Nebraska Department of Education / Office of Early Childhood – The Office of Early Childhood provides leadership, guidance, and support to develop high-quality environments for young children; promotes equitable access to inclusive programs and services for all children from birth through age eight; facilitates state and community partnerships that address the needs of young children and their families; and, provide professional development, technical assistance, and resources for personnel in early childhood care and education settings.

Nebraska Childfind – provides information to parents, school personnel, and service providers on child development and special education for children from birth (or date of diagnosis) to age 21. ChildFind also helps parents access information on rights and resources to help them advocate for an appropriate education for their child.

National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Find research-based resources, tips and ideas for families—from child development to reading, writing, music, math, what to look for in a child care program, and more!