Child Care

Child care is essential infrastructure for working families.

For parents of young children, child care can be one of the largest expenses in the household budget.

At the same time, access to reliable, affordable child care is essential for Nebraska's workforce and economy. Parents need dependable care to work, employers need workers who can reliably show up, and child care providers need sufficient resources to operate.

When child care becomes unaffordable or unavailable, families can be forced to make difficult choices between work and caring for their children.

The effects extend beyond individual households. Child care challenges can affect workforce participation, employers, small businesses, and local economies.

Nebraska For Us looks at the policies and economic conditions that influence the availability and affordability of child care in Nebraska.