Gunnar's Place

Gunnar's Place We are a safe place where children with complex medical needs can go and receive skilled nursing care, therapy, and developmental support.

Kids who can’t attend regular daycare because of their health, still deserve to play, learn, and grow with others.

💙 **MEET THE TEAM: KATI ANN!** 💙We’re so excited to introduce you to another amazing member of the Gunnar’s Place team! ...
08/21/2026

💙 **MEET THE TEAM: KATI ANN!** 💙

We’re so excited to introduce you to another amazing member of the Gunnar’s Place team! 🥰

**Meet Kati Ann!** 👋 She grew up in **North Platte, NE**, and came to Kearney to attend UNK. She is currently working toward her degree in **Health Sciences**, with a minor in **Women and Gender Studies**. 🎓

Kati Ann has spent many years working as a **CNA**, where she discovered her passion for healthcare. 🩺❤️ Now, she’s excited to combine her healthcare experience with something she truly loves — **working with children!**

> “Getting to use those skills while doing something I love is very exciting, and I can’t wait to start!”

We can’t wait to see the care, compassion, and experience Kati Ann brings to **Gunnar’s Place**! 💙

Help us give Kati Ann a BIG **WELCOME TO THE TEAM!** 👏👇

💬 Leave her a welcome in the comments!
❤️ Like this post to show your support!
📲 Share this post to help our community get to know the incredible people behind Gunnar’s Place!

**We’re building more than a team — we’re building a community where every child belongs. 💙**

📣📣 Let us introduce…..🌟 **MEET MEREDITH!** 🌟We are so excited to introduce another amazing member of the **Gunnar’s Plac...
08/20/2026

📣📣 Let us introduce…..

🌟 **MEET MEREDITH!** 🌟

We are so excited to introduce another amazing member of the **Gunnar’s Place** team! 💙

Hi, I’m **Meredith Spellman!** I grew up right here in **Shelton, Nebraska**, and Nebraska has always felt like home. 🏡💙

Meredith will be attending **UNK** as she works toward a future in either **Art Education or Early Childhood Education**—she’s still deciding! 🎨📚

One thing is certain: **Meredith loves being creative!** 🎨✨ She believes working with children gives her the opportunity to use creativity in so many different ways, which is one of the reasons she is so excited to be part of Gunnar’s Place.

> “Watching kids play, learn, and grow is so rewarding!” 💙

We couldn’t agree more! We are so excited to watch Meredith build relationships with our kids and bring her creativity, kindness, and enthusiasm to Gunnar’s Place. 🥰

**Help us give Meredith a BIG Gunnar’s Place welcome! 👋💙**

Drop a 👋 or 💙 in the comments to welcome her to the team! And as always, **SHARE this post** to help us introduce our incredible team to our community! 📣

🎉 **2 INSPECTIONS DOWN… 1 TO GO!** 🎉We are officially one HUGE step closer to opening the doors at **Gunnar’s Place!** 💙...
08/11/2026

🎉 **2 INSPECTIONS DOWN… 1 TO GO!** 🎉

We are officially one HUGE step closer to opening the doors at **Gunnar’s Place!** 💙

We’re excited to share that we have successfully passed both our **sanitation inspection AND fire marshal inspection!** ✅🔥🧼

Now, there’s just **one final inspection with DHHS** standing between us and opening our doors to the amazing children and families we’ve been working so hard to serve. 🥹💙

Behind the scenes, we’ve been busy getting classrooms put together, organizing, and making sure every detail is ready. We even held our **FIRST official staff meeting!** 🥰

We can’t wait to introduce you to each incredible member of our team and share why they chose to be part of this mission. 💙

**We are SO close!** 🙌

If you’ve been following our journey, **drop a 💙 below and help us celebrate!** And if you haven’t already, **follow Gunnar’s Helping Hands and share this post** so more people can follow along as we get ready to open Gunnar’s Place!

One step closer. One child closer. One dream becoming reality. 💙✨

08/04/2026

🎉 One step closer! 🎉

We're excited to share that Gunnar's Place has officially passed our sanitation inspection! ✅

We've been hard at work putting everything together and preparing our space, and this is another huge milestone checked off the list. Now we just have our inspections with the Fire Marshal and DHHS before we can officially open our doors!

We truly can't believe we're this close to welcoming the incredible children and families we'll have the privilege of serving. Thank you to everyone who has supported, encouraged, and believed in this mission. Your generosity and support has helped make this dream possible. 💙

Please help us celebrate this milestone by liking, commenting, and sharing—we can't wait to announce our opening day soon!

✨ One step closer... and our hearts are so full. ✨Today was a BIG day at **Gunnar's Place**! 💙We made so much progress—o...
08/03/2026

✨ One step closer... and our hearts are so full. ✨

Today was a BIG day at **Gunnar's Place**! 💙

We made so much progress—our shelving is finally in, one of our rooms is completely set up with shelving and tables, and we're getting closer to having every space ready to welcome the incredible children and families we'll serve.

One of today's most special moments was receiving a beautiful swing set donated by **Gunnar's Great Grandma**. 🛝💙 Knowing that children will laugh, play, and make memories on something given with so much love is incredibly meaningful. It reminds us that Gunnar's legacy continues to bring joy to others.

To every person who has donated, shared our posts, offered words of encouragement, or simply believed in this dream from the very beginning—**thank you.** Those two words will never feel big enough. Every donation, every share, every conversation, and every act of kindness has helped build something that will change the lives of children and families in our community.

This has never been just about opening a building. It's about creating a place where children with complex medical needs are welcomed, included, cared for, and celebrated every single day.

And now... we're so close! 🤩

All that's left is our final inspections with the Fire Marshal, Sanitation, and DHHS before we can officially open our doors!

We can't wait to celebrate this milestone with all of you because **this isn't just our accomplishment—it belongs to our entire community.** 💙

If you've been cheering us on, let us know in the comments! ⬇️ We'd love to hear where you've been following our journey from. And if you believe every child deserves a place to belong, please consider sharing this post to help us spread the word. Every share helps us reach another family who may one day need Gunnar's Place. 💙

07/24/2026

We are **so close** to opening
Gunnar’s Place

We are waiting for DHHS to do their walk through.

As we get ready, we’re stocking the center with everything our kiddos will need — developmental toys, sensory items, safe supplies, comfort items, and learning materials. Our list is close to $1,000, and while we’ve covered as much as we can, we could use a little help finishing out the last pieces.

🎖If you’ve been cheering us on, following our journey, or wanting to support all children in Kearney, this is a simple way to make a big impact.

Ways you can help:
✔️Donate an item from our supply list
✔️Contribute toward the purchase of needed supplies
✔️ Share this post to help us reach more people
✔️Keep Gunnar’s Place in your prayers as we prepare to open

🔹️🔹️️Every single item helps us create a safe, loving, developmentally supportive space for the children we serve. 🔹️🔹️
We’re not asking for much — just inviting our community to be part of these final steps.

Supply list is in the comments!

07/21/2026

I’m proud to share an important milestone for Gunnar’s Place and for Nebraska’s early childhood system.

We are excited to announce that Sheila Harouff has been accepted into the 2026–2027 Nebraska Early Childhood Policy Leadership Academy, a statewide program led by First Five Nebraska that develops leaders working to strengthen early childhood policy across our state.

For the past two years, I’ve been working to build a pathway so medically fragile children can receive safe, developmentally appropriate care close to home. This meeting was a meaningful step forward — and this Academy will help accelerate the work ahead.

📘 Policy Leadership
This program will strengthen my ability to navigate Nebraska’s early childhood systems, collaborate with statewide partners, and advance the legislative changes needed to support families of medically fragile children.

🏥 Gunnar’s Place
Our center is just the beginning. Nebraska deserves a modern, regulated option for children who need specialized care, and I’m committed to helping build that future.

Sign your child up to join the fun at Kearney Area Children's Museum
07/18/2026

Sign your child up to join the fun at Kearney Area Children's Museum

This week, we took another important step toward making Gunnar’s Place a reality—and more importantly, toward creating l...
07/16/2026

This week, we took another important step toward making Gunnar’s Place a reality—and more importantly, toward creating lasting change for children and families across our state.

Yesterday in Lincoln, with Ana by my side, I presented the legislative framework and research we’ve been building for Gunnar’s Place Pediatric Day Health Center to Senator Ballard. It was an incredibly productive conversation and a meaningful step forward for medically complex children in Nebraska.

Right now, Nebraska law does not recognize Children's Day Health Centers. That means:
💙 There is no legal definition of what these centers are.
💙 There are no standards for staffing or care.
💙 There is no Medicaid reimbursement pathway for these life‑changing services.
💙 Families are left with fewer options, and providers face unnecessary barriers to opening specialized centers.

We believe Nebraska's children deserve better.

After reviewing successful legislation from states like Texas and Louisiana, I presented a proposal advocating for meaningful updates to Nebraska law that would:
✔️ Establish clear standards for Children's Day Health Centers.
✔️ Define who these centers are designed to serve.
✔️ Create safe staffing and supervision requirements.
✔️ Help build a pathway for Medicaid reimbursement.
✔️ Protect children by ensuring care is based on medical need—not profit.

Our goal has always been bigger than opening one center. We want to help build a system that gives medically complex children and their families access to safe, high‑quality care throughout Nebraska.

There is still work ahead. We’ll be collaborating with Nebraska Health and Human Services, healthcare providers, and legislators to ensure these proposed changes truly meet the needs of the families we serve.

This is how lasting change happens—one conversation, one partnership, and one step at a time.

💙 If you believe every medically complex child deserves access to specialized care close to home, please help us spread this message.
➡️ Like this post to show your support.
➡️ Share it to help raise awareness.
➡️ Comment below: What does better support for medically complex children mean to you?

Together, we're not just building Gunnar’s Place—we're helping shape a stronger future for children and families across Nebraska.

Address

4511 6th Avenue STE. 206
Kearney, NE
68845

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