Dear Colleagues and Friends of Early Childhood, 

We’re excited to share the launch of Early Futures Partnership, a new organization dedicated to strengthening Nebraska’s early childhood ecosystem through practice and policy. 

Early Futures Partnership is building a Nebraska where every child’s journey defines our future. Our shared mission is to set a strong foundation for children’s earliest years and lifelong success by supporting families, advancing community-driven early childhood solutions and connecting what works in practice to the policies that sustain progress. 

Early Futures Partnership is the organizational home of two long-standing initiatives, Communities for Kids and First Five Nebraska, working alongside one another to advance early childhood in Nebraska. 

Communities for Kids partners with local communities across Nebraska to prioritize child care and build the infrastructure families and providers need to thrive. 

First Five Nebraska promotes policies that support early care, education and the healthy development of our state’s youngest children, creating opportunity for all Nebraskans. 

Together, this unified approach reflects a simple belief: When community practice and public policy move in alignment, strategic progress is possible. Early Futures allows us to strengthen that alignment while preserving the distinct roles, relationships and expertise that C4K and FFN have built over time. 

You will continue to see Communities for Kids and First Five Nebraska leading in their respective spaces, now connected through Early Futures Partnership to deepen collaboration, clarity and statewide impact. 

As we begin this New Year, we are grateful to those who made our work possible. We also look forward to a new legislative session where we will work with partners statewide to advance LB304 out of the Health and Human Services committee and onto the floor for a successful vote to extend child care support for working Nebraska families. 

We invite you to learn more at earlyfutures.org and we look forward to continuing this work together in 2026 and the years ahead. 

With gratitude, 



Marti Beard and Jason Prokop 

Early Futures Partnership Co-Presidents