The community of Wausa has recently been selected to be part of Nebraska Children and Families Foundation’s Communities for Kids. Communities for Kids is a state-wide initiative which supports young children, families and those providing their care. The Communities for Kids initiative 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 pose a challenge for communities hoping to attract and retain the viable workforce they need to thrive.
Through the initiative process, Communities for Kids assists in facilitating conversations among each community’s public and private organizations. Communities for Kids also provides expertise, tools, and resources to the community to support the creation and implementation of solutions to childcare shortages. To learn more visit www.CommunitiesforKids.org.
The Mission of the Wausa Core Leadership Team is to develop support and strengthen our community by investing in children, families, and businesses through educational opportunities and economic development. The Vision is that Wausa will continue to grow and thrive as a healthy village for ALL! Darren Vanness, Joni Burns, Brad Hoesing, Amy Burns, Denise Albrecht, Staci Anderson, and Abbie Pfanstiel.
Anyone interested in joining the Wausa C4K Team can contact Joni Burns at (402) 360-3107 or (joniburns@wausaschools.org).
Unlike many of the communities in the State of Nebraska, where childcare shortages are evident, Wausa has adequate licensed childcare capacity. The issue currently affecting the landscape of childcare in Wausa is lack of workforce to meet the State of Nebraska licensing requirements for adult to child ratio. Adequate quality early childhood education and capacity is the foundation for economic growth in rural communities. Adequate quality childcare, and the spirit of “Wausa, in the middle of everywhere” helped set the priorities by the Wausa C4K Core Team. The initial priorities of Wausa C4K are 1) Develop early childhood workforce and support licensed childcare businesses, 2) Utilize the quality childcare infrastructure of Wausa for economic development and community growth, and 3) Createpathways for business collaborations and partnerships to support the early childhood infrastructure of Wausa.
In support of the participating communities, Communities for Kids will provide assistance and expertise to:
• Engage stakeholders in identifying the strengths and gaps of the current early care and education resources in the community.
• Utilize informed decision-making to determine strategies for meeting the priority needs identified by the community and creating a business plan if needed.
• Connect communities with experts and research, best practices, implementation, quality measurements, financing, use of government/public resources, and design, etc.
“Communities for Kids works closely with local partners to professionalize early childhood and reframe the conversation to one of workforce development and community vitality. Using a collective impact approach, the community will lead the way in this effort by determining their own needs and strengths.” said Marti McFadden Beard, Vice President of Early Childhood Programs at Nebraska Children and Families Foundation.
Melissa Polinoski, Assistant Vice President of Early Childhood Programs with Nebraska Children and Families Foundation and Communities for Kids Technical Assistant for Wausa states, “The systems of support available to the children and families in Wausa is exciting to see! When a community makes the commitment to ensure quality care is available for all children, to support their growth and development, a wonderful by product happens. Families feel less stressed in the home and work environment, businesses see a decrease in absenteeism and an increase in available workforce, and the overall economic well-being of the community improves. Quality Early Childhood Care is the foundation of thriving families and communities. The Wausa C4K Core Team is leading the charge and making the commitment to support all sectors and stakeholders of the community.”
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 and Communities for Kids, visit www.nebraskachildren.org and www.communitiesforkids.org
