Bancroft - Rosalie Selected for Communities for Kids Initiative  

March 26, 2024

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Bancroft and Rosalie Selected for Communities for Kids Initiative  

The communities of Bancroft and Rosalie have recently been selected to be part of Nebraska Children and Families Foundation Communities for Kids, 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 Bancroft and Rosalie Core Leadership Team is to support our growing communities and create opportunities for families and their children. The Vision is to meet the needs of current and future families by providing quality resources.  Members of the C4K are Dr. Jon Cerny, Kyle Elsasser, Karin Vogt, Kristine Sudbeck-Buchholz, CharLee Weborg, Niiki Peirce, Allie Tietz, Andrea Wortman, Megan Novak, Dusty Storm, Rebecca Schmeckpeper, Carri Schuttler, and Tim Browning. 

Anyone interested in joining the C4K Team can contact Jon Cerny at 402-648-3336 or jcerny@esu2.org. 

Initial Priorities of the C4K Team is to 1) Create outreach activities to raise community awareness of early childhood needs and opportunities, 2) Increase the availability of childcare year-round, 3) Improve coordination in the community between early childhood service providers, parents, and other partners, and 4) Create partnerships for early childhood capacity expansion. 

The childcare shortage is evident in Bancroft and Rosalie when looking at the number of working parents and licensed childcare spots.  Currently there are 95 children under the age of 6 with all available parents working and a gap of 26 licensed childcare spots available.  This results in 37 children under the age of 5 that need care, but families have nowhere to take them.  Who is caring for those 37 children not in licensed care?  Are they getting the best quality care that they can be given?  These are just some of the questions our team will be seeking an answer to during this process. 

Bancroft-Rosalie Community School is the only licensed Daycare in Bancroft or Rosalie. The School is licensed for care at both the Main Building and the Downtown Early Childhood Center. Thus limits opportunities for families that qualify for state childcare subsidies, but cannot use them in either community. 

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. 

• use 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. 

• explore and assist communities with applying for all available sources of funding (private/public grants, public funding programs such as childcare subsidy, no- or low-interest loans, etc.). 

“This initiative will work collaboratively with our parents and child care providers to meet the childcare needs of families in Bancroft and Rosalie.”  

“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, Associate 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 Bancroft-Rosalie states, “The systems of support available to the children and families in the communities of Bancroft and Rosalie 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 Bancroft-Rosalie C4K Core Team is the leading the charge and making the commitment to close the Childcare GAP and 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, visit www.NebraskaChildren.org.