Our Step Up to Quality team is an incredible resource for child care providers going through any of our five steps. We can also connect providers with other early childhood education resources — as a part of the State of Nebraska Department of Education’s Office of Early Childhood, our team works closely with colleagues within the government and with partner agencies across the state.

We’re excited to welcome Fatim Ouedraogo to our team as a Step Up to Quality associate. Passionate about education and fostering impactful initiatives, her professional experience includes providing administrative and technical assistance to education programs. Fatim is fluent in French and English, and she holds two master’s degrees in organizational leadership and sustainable international development. She thrives on building connections, driving growth and creating meaningful change.

Learn more about Fatim and how she supports child care providers.

Why did you choose to work at Step Up to Quality?

I was attracted by Step Up to Quality’s mission to improve the quality of early childhood education, which aligns perfectly with my values and background. I’m passionate about educational equity and have seen firsthand the importance of supporting providers in underserved communities.

As a Step Up to Quality associate, what does a typical workday look like for you?

I help with processes like rating requests and School Readiness Tax Credit attestation requests. I also assist child care providers with technical questions regarding NECPRS or how to enroll in Step Up to Quality.

What is the most rewarding part of your job?

I know what I do is helping the child care providers we serve. Providers do such hard work, and I get to assist them with important things like accessing tax credits that really help support their income. It’s rewarding to know that I’m a part of helping providers get tax refunds to improve their lives.

What do you wish more people knew about Step Up to Quality?

Step Up to Quality is such a fantastic program. I hope all Nebraska child care providers will enroll in Step Up to Quality. Again, beyond the direct benefits of learning and implementing high-quality care standards, participating in Step Up to Quality comes with many benefits, like being eligible for tax credits, which help our providers thrive in their field and give the best care possible to children and their families.

Why is high-quality early childhood education important?

We know from research that children’s brains are largely developing from birth to age 5. That’s when they build most of their skills. Step Up to Quality focuses on continuous quality improvement for early childhood programs through a clear five step process, which helps our providers progress, grow and better educate kids who are going to be future leaders.

What do you do with your time outside of work?

I volunteer for an organization called the African Immigrant Services. We provide language literacy services to immigrant adults, and every Saturday, we take care of their little ones for around four hours to allow them some free time. I also love to read and spend time with family.