Panhandle Area Child Care Services

10/14/2026

We’re excited to welcome Tierra and Kim to Chadron next Wednesday! Come learn about resources for your child care business and stay for supper with us.

We have room for a few more, so we’ve extended the supper RSVP deadline! Joining by Zoom is an option, too. Sign up through the link in the original post. We’d love to have you join us!

10/14/2026

Here in the Panhandle, that can mean a family turning down a job or wondering if they can stay in their community. That’s why PACCS is working to bring child care professionals and community partners together. We need more people at the table who don’t think child care is their issue. It is.

Inadequate child care is a multi-billion-dollar drag on the economy.

A 2025 report by First Five Nebraska, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Bureau of Business Research, and the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce & Industry Foundation estimates inadequate child care access costs Nebraska $1.74 billion in business output, $1.61 billion in labor income, $63.8 million in state tax revenue, and 6,843 jobs each year.

10/11/2026

Walk inside a yurt — a canvas camping structure — at Niobrara State Park and find a furnished living area, bathroom with shower and a fully equipped kitchen.

Full story at the 🔗 in comments.

10/05/2026

This article is worth reading.

The child-care subsidy system is supposed to help families afford care. It is also supposed to make sure providers are paid for the care they provide.
Right now, too many people are having trouble getting clear answers. Payments have been delayed. Providers are left trying to figure out what is happening.
Providers cannot keep operating when payments are late. We still have bills to pay. We still have food and supplies to buy.
Families need to be able to count on their child care. Providers need to know they will be paid.
Please read the article and share it. People need to understand what is happening.

Check out the Nebraska Examiner’s article below!

Nebraskans describe frustration with state handling of childcare subsidyl, as DHHS puts focus on fraud prevention and taxpayer protection.

09/30/2026

“Universal child care.” We’re hearing those words more, but what would that actually mean for those of us providing care in Nebraska’s Panhandle?

I just registered for this free online discussion about New Mexico’s experience, with clips from the upcoming film North Star Rising. I’ve had the opportunity to meet and hear from panelist Olga Grays, a family child care educator who has been involved in that work.

We need to understand what’s being proposed and ask questions. How are educators supported? What would work here, especially in our rural communities?

You don’t have to have an opinion already. Come learn enough to help shape the conversation.

Wednesday, October 14
1–2 p.m. Mountain / 2–3 p.m. Central
Free and online

Register: https://North-Star-Rising.eventbrite.com

Jennifer Baumann
PACCS Board Member

Childcare challenges? Let’s talk about solutions! Join our star experts and see exclusive film sneak peeks on 10/14!

💫 Join us for a special live online conversation about New Mexico’s groundbreaking universal early care and education journey — and what it can teach other states about supporting young children and families.

✨ We’ll be sharing free resources and practical tools you can use to spark conversations and create change in your own community.

⭐️ RSVP now at https://North-Star-Rising.eventbrite.com

09/28/2026

Do you work in child care? Whether you run a family child care home, work in a center, or serve as a director, this conversation is for you.

Join First Five Nebraska’s Tuesday Talks on October 6. You can come just to listen and hear what’s happening across the state. Staying informed means changes that affect your work won’t catch you by surprise, and you’ll know when you may want to speak up.

Register here:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/PT9CwCi8Rz6RVqyrVHAS5Q

09/05/2026

Love seeing one of our own highlighted! 💛

So proud to see our PACCS Secretary, Kathy Weber, and Live, Love, Laugh Daycare featured by Nebraska Early Childhood Collaborative after making the long trip from Chadron to Elevate 2026.

That 440+ mile drive says a lot about the commitment our rural child care professionals make to keep learning, connecting and bringing new ideas back to the children and families they serve.

Way to represent the Panhandle, Kathy! 👏

05/22/2026

Love seeing this right here in the Panhandle. Congratulations to Tanisha and TOTally Kids / Totally Tots LLC on earning STEP 5 through Nebraska Step Up to Quality.

People see the award, but they don’t always see the amount of time behind it. The trainings, the paperwork, the changes, the constant learning, and still showing up every day for children and families.

Proud to have stood beside you at the Capitol advocating for child care and then see you continue leading in your own program too. Western Nebraska has some pretty amazing educators doing this work every single day.

Today, we are beyond excited and proud to announce that Totally Kids Child Care has officially reached STEP 5 in Nebraska’s Step Up to Quality program! 🎉⭐️

This achievement means so much to us because we have worked incredibly hard to get here. Countless hours of training, preparing, improving our classrooms, strengthening our curriculum, and focusing on the quality of care we provide every single day all led to this moment.

STEP 5 is the highest quality rating in Nebraska’s Step Up to Quality program. It recognizes childcare programs that go above and beyond in providing high-quality learning environments, strong family engagement, professional development, and meaningful interactions with children. It reflects excellence in early childhood education and a commitment to helping children grow, learn, and thrive.

One of the things I am most proud of from our observation was our staff interactions with the children. I have always tried to pride my girls on creating loving, positive, patient, and meaningful relationships with every child, and seeing that recognized means the world to me. ❤️

I could not be more thankful for our amazing team and all the hard work they put in every single day. They showed up, gave it their all, and did an amazing job during our observation. This accomplishment belongs to every one of them.

Thank you to all of our families for trusting us with your children and supporting us through this journey. We are so excited for what’s ahead and proud to continue providing the very best care for our community!

05/15/2026

Panhandle educators, I encourage you to jump into this conversation. First Five Nebraska holds these policy and advocacy chats regularly to help keep child care educators informed on legislative updates, upcoming changes, and what is happening across the state. Especially out here in western Nebraska, staying connected to these conversations matters.

𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐝𝐞 𝐜𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐝𝐨 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐥: Acompáñenos el próximo martes 19 de mayo a la 1:30 p. m. (hora central) para una conversación por Zoom exclusiva para proveedores sobre los avances en políticas públicas en la Legislatura Unicameral que impactan directamente a los proveedores de cuidado infantil. También tendrá la oportunidad de hacer preguntas al equipo de políticas y defensa de First Five Nebraska.

¡Su voz y liderazgo son esenciales para impulsar un cambio significativo en temas importantes durante esta sesión legislativa! Se ofrecerá interpretación al español. Regístrese aquí: bit.ly/4tXbvJV

𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬: Join us next Tuesday, May 19, at 1:30 p.m. CT, for a providers-only Zoom conversation on advances in public policy in the Unicameral that directly impact childcare providers. You'll also have the opportunity to ask questions of First Five Nebraska's policy and advocacy team.

Your voice and leadership are essential to driving meaningful change on important issues this legislative session! Spanish interpretation will be provided. Register here: bit.ly/4tXbvJV

05/14/2026

Love seeing Nebraska Panhandle programs being recognized for the work they are doing for children and for their communities.

There is so much leadership and quality happening across rural Nebraska. More people deserve to see the depth of work happening inside these programs every day.

Congratulations Shannon and your staff at Building Blocks Playschool at Box Butte General Hospital!

From nurse to child care leader, Shannon Seidler has always followed her passion for caring for others.

Now, as director of Building Blocks Playschool at Box Butte General Hospital, she’s helping address the child care shortage in her community—while achieving a Step 5 rating with Step Up to Quality.

Read how her dedication to quality improvement is making a difference for children, families and fellow providers in Alliance on our blog at https://stepuptoquality.ne.gov/step-5-spotlight-shannon-seidlers-dedication-to-quality-improvement-helps-alleviate-child-care-shortage-in-alliance/