High-quality care
for children is our
first priority
Step Up to Quality is where Nebraska parents find
quality-rated child care and early childhood education.
Find a Step Up to
Quality-rated provider
Explore hundreds of early childhood education
providers from across the state.
Quality early childhood education can make a big impact on your child’s future
Early learning builds the foundation for skills needed in school, work and life, with 90% of brain development occurring before age 5. Children who receive quality early child care and education are more likely to show improved reading and math skills, graduate high school, attend college, have a job and earn higher wages.
How to find the right
provider for your family
Step Up to Quality is the perfect place to start when searching for high quality child care and early childhood education in Nebraska. Use our search tool to narrow down your options and follow these recommended steps to find the perfect provider for your situation:
1. Think about your priorities
Does your child care provider need to be close to work? Close to home? Would you prefer a family child care home or a center? What is important to you in a provider?
2. Schedule a tour
Once you’ve narrowed down your list of providers, take time to meet the educators and see the facility. Be sure to download our tour checklists, which have some great questions to ask and quality indicators to look out for.
3. Revisit your priorities
Make sure your favorite provider aligns with your priorities, and you can picture having a positive relationship with the director and teachers.
All about school readiness
Preparing for kindergarten is about developing a love of learning. High-quality early childhood education providers understand this concept, which has been proven by an overwhelming amount of research.
From birth to the first day of kindergarten, parents, teachers and community leaders should be thinking about how to prepare children for school — but not by memorizing facts or completing worksheets. Children’s early home, educational and community environments are critical in supporting all aspects of learning and development.
Specific academic skills often thought to be prerequisites for school success, like knowing numbers and letters, can easily be learned by children whose needs in the following five areas have been met:
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Health and physical well-being
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Social and emotional well-being
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Approaches to learning
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Language development
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General knowledge about the world around them
Parent resources
Child Care Subsidy
The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services can help with the cost of child care via the Child Care Subsidy program. Child Care Subsidy provides benefits for parents and families who are working hard to support themselves.
Nebraska Early Learning Library
The Nebraska Department of Education operates the Early Learning Library, which is open to anyone in the state connected to early childhood education, including parents, teachers, administrators and students. The library is stocked with books and resources, and if you’re not able to visit the space in La Vista, the helpful staff will mail your selections free of charge!
Learning Begins at Birth
The Learning Begins at Birth Parent Guide is given to the parents of each child born in Nebraska to provide information on child development, child care, how children learn, children’s health, services available to children and parents, and any other relevant information. Learning Begins at Birth contains important information for families as they work to ensure their children have a strong foundation in their early years to help them thrive throughout their lives.
Additional resources
- Download our child care tour checklists, which have some great questions to ask and quality indicators to look out for.
- National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) for Families
- Nebraska Library Commission
- Public Broadcasting Services (PBS)
- Nebraska Extension – Early Childhood Development
- Nebraska Early Development Network
- DHHS Child Care Licensing Info for Parents
- American Academy of Pediatrics’ HealthyChildren.org
FAQs
When should I start searching for child care?
It’s almost never too early to begin your child care search, but pregnant parents should begin searching for infant care as early as 20 weeks into a pregnancy. Because infant child care providers are required to have a low teacher-to-child ratio, there are fewer available infant spots.
If you don’t plan to enroll your child in care until they’re a little older, begin your search at least one year ahead of your start date. If you currently have a toddler or preschooler, the time to begin your search is now! You don’t need to commit to a provider right away, but it’s important to know your options.
Learn more in this blog post about searching for child care.
Why should I choose a provider enrolled in Step Up to Quality?
Step Up to Quality is not a typical rating system — it’s a path. Whether a child care provider is at Step 1 or Step 5, they are making a statement: that they want to be the best they can be for the benefit of their children and families.
What does quality look like?
Step Up to Quality focuses on five quality standards.
Program administration
Quality early child care programs have policies and procedures in place to maintain sound business practices and support employee development.
Child outcomes
Early child care providers and educators should be knowledgeable of developmental milestones, complete regular assessments and communicate with families about children’s skills, strengths and needs.
Professional development and training
Quality early child care programs employ knowledgeable and professional staff who pursue lifelong learning. Professional development is an ongoing process of education and training to prepare individuals for a career working with young children and families. Actively pursuing professional development ensures that knowledge and skills stay relevant and up to date.
Family engagement and partnerships
Early child care providers and educators maintain collaborative relationships with families and the community to help support children’s learning and development.
Learning environments and program curriculum
Providers and educators actively engage children in everyday learning with teaching approaches to enhance each child’s learning and development. Learning activities are adapted to meet the needs of individual children. Quality early childhood programs use an evidence-based curriculum aligned with the Nebraska Early Learning Guidelines that incorporates child nutrition and physical activity.
What do each of the Steps mean?
Programs are rated based on meeting Step Up to Quality’s five quality standards. Remember, Step Up to Quality is a path. Regardless of rating, every enrolled program has made a commitment to go above and beyond to increase the quality of their care even more.