PDG B-5 systems building grant - nebraska's PDG B-5 effort will use a structured, mixed-methods approach combining updated administrative, demographic, and workforce data with qualitative input from…

The Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families awarded $4,036,709 to the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services on December 31, 2025, under the Preschool Development Grants program (CFDA 93.434) to update Nebraska's statewide early childhood education needs assessment and strategic plan.

The grant funds a structured mixed-methods needs assessment combining administrative, demographic, and workforce data with qualitative input from families, providers, and community leaders to analyze early childhood education supply and demand, workforce capacity, regional variations, system navigation challenges, and data-system interoperability needs. The project examines data platform modernization, alignment of data standards across agencies, and strengthening linkages between early childhood education system providers. The assessment incorporates Head Start program analysis covering capacity, workforce stability, geographic access, and alignment opportunities within Nebraska's broader early childhood education system. Deliverables include an updated, action-oriented statewide strategic plan with measurable outcomes focused on coordinated family access, workforce support, data system alignment, and program sustainability. Cross-agency workgroups will guide development and implementation planning in data integration, workforce, family access, and sustainability.

The Nebraska Department of Education, as sub-grantee, supports the needs assessment and strategic plan update. The Nebraska Children and Families Foundation (operating as First Five Nebraska) advances implementation of the updated strategic plan, improves coordinated family access to services, builds shared provider infrastructure, and supports statewide monitoring of project outcomes aligned with Nebraska's early childhood education action agenda.

Performance period extends from the award date through December 30, 2026, with all work performed in Nebraska.

PDG B-5 systems building grant - nebraska's PDG B-5 effort will use a structured, mixed-methods approach combining updated administrative, demographic, and workforce data with qualitative input from families, providers, and community leaders. Analysis will focus on ECE supply and demand, workforce capacity, regional variations, and system navigation challenges. The project will also examine data-system interoperability needs, including modernizing existing platforms, aligning data standards across agencies, and strengthening linkages between ECE system providers. The addition of head start into the needs assessment will examine program capacity, workforce stability, geographic access, and opportunities for stronger alignment within nebraska's broader ECE system. The findings will enhance policy coordination across head start, child care, and preschool programs and identify data-integration improvements needed to support coordinated enrollment, more precise resource targeting, and longitudinal tracking. The project will produce an updated, action-oriented statewide strategic plan with measurable outcomes focused on coordinated family access, workforce support, data system alignment, and program sustainability. Cross-agency workgroups focused on data, workforce, family access, and sustainability will guide development and implementation planning.