Lack of Livable Wages and Need for Second Jobs, Public Assistance Are Among Critical Issues

Lincoln, Neb. — A new study reveals some areas of promise within the early care and education field in Nebraska but also points to a number of significant challenges facing the teachers and child care providers who guide and nurture young children’s learning and development during the critical first eight years of life.

Low compensation, lack of health and retirement benefits, uneven professional preparation, and stress are among the everyday challenges confronted by the more than 1,600 participants in the Nebraska Early Childhood Workforce Survey. Conducted by the Buffett Early Childhood Institute at the University of Nebraska, the survey is the largest, most comprehensive ever of the state’s early childhood workforce. Participants represented four early childhood settings—licensed home-based childcare programs, licensed center-based programs, public PreKindergarten programs, and elementary schools serving children in Kindergarten through Grade 3 (K-3).

The findings have serious implications for families, employers, and communities statewide, said Samuel J. Meisels, founding executive director of the Buffett Early Childhood Institute. Nearly 80 percent of children age 5 and younger in Nebraska are in some form of paid childcare, and 62 percent of mothers with infants are in the workforce.

“Teachers and child care providers are fundamental to young children achieving their potential and growing into capable and confident young people,” Meisels said. “How we prepare, compensate, and support these professionals is a critical issue facing families, communities, and the state of Nebraska.”

The Institute announced findings from the survey report, titled Nebraska Early Childhood Workforce Survey: A Focus on Teachers and Providers, today at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln before an audience of nearly 200 community and education leaders, public officials, early childhood professionals, and others.

Key findings include:
·      Lack of Livable Wages and Benefits for Child Care Providers and Teachers: Home-based providers and center-based teachers earn a median wage of $11/hour, roughly half as much as PreK ($21/hour) and K-3 teachers ($23/hour.) (Center-based teachers’ median annual salary of $18,706 is nearly $7,800 below the poverty line for a family of four.) Less than half of all center-based teachers receive health insurance, paid maternity leave, and retirement benefits.
·      Reliance on Second Jobs and Public Assistance: In differing ways and to differing degrees, both childcare providers and K-3 teachers supplement their salaries. Second jobs are more common among teachers and public assistance is more common among childcare providers. Approximately 20 percent of PreK and K-3 teachers hold second jobs, and 27 percent of home-based providers and 20 percent of center-based teachers utilize public assistance.
·      Uneven and Often Insufficient Education and Preparation: Preparation to enter the workforce is uneven across settings. Nearly all PreK and K-3 teachers have bachelor’s degrees, but less than half of home-based providers and center-based teachers have a bachelor’s degree. Teachers living in urban areas tend to have more advanced degrees than teachers in rural areas. Less than half of K-3 teachers surveyed felt well prepared to work with families at the start of their careers, and between 27 percent and 50 percent of teachers and child care providers did not feel well prepared to teach at the beginning of their careers.
·      Lack of Diversity: An overwhelming majority of Nebraska’s early childhood workforce is white. However, on average, classrooms are composed of 10 percent to 22 percent of students who are racially, ethnically, and culturally diverse.
·      Stress and Well-Being: Eight percent to 11 percent of all early childhood educators report clinically significant depressive symptoms. Some teachers in all settings experience high levels of stress and low levels of support.

Despite these challenges, findings point to several areas of promise within the early care and education field in Nebraska. For example, teachers tend to have considerable experience in the field—12 years or more on average—which demonstrates a commitment to their work. Teachers participate in a variety of trainings and ongoing professional development and, among teachers with degrees, most majored in education-related fields.

The Nebraska Early Childhood Workforce Survey provides an important first step toward ensuring a skilled, informed, and diverse workforce in Nebraska by documenting the status, working conditions, and attitudes of early childhood professionals across the state, said Susan Sarver, director of workforce planning and development at the Buffett Institute.

“If we want to provide high-quality care and learning experiences for young children, we must invest in the adults who provide it,” Sarver said. “The research is clear that if we do so, everyone benefits—children, families, employers, and communities.”

The report findings were presented at UNL today by Meisels. Additional featured speakers included State Senator Matt Williams, Nebraska Community Foundation President and CEO Jeff Yost, and Sarver. Following the presentation, a panel discussion focused on the experiences of early childhood professionals from across Nebraska. Panelists included Jennifer Baumann, owner of Little Angel Day Care (Chadron); Lisa Carlson, early elementary teacher at Norris Elementary School (Firth); Lisa Mathewson, PreK teacher at Pawnee City Public Schools (Pawnee City); and Thelma Sims, owner and director of Element Learning Center (Omaha).

The Buffett Institute conducted the Nebraska Early Childhood Workforce Survey with assistance from the Bureau of Sociological Research at UNL. Data collection occurred from May 2015 – February 2016. The first report—which focuses exclusively on teachers and providers—was authored by Sarver; Amy Roberts, research assistant professor at the Buffett Institute; and Iheoma Iruka, former director of research and evaluation at the Buffett Institute and chief research officer at HighScope Educational Research Foundation. Future reports from the survey will focus on early childhood programs and administrators.

To view the survey report, visit buffettinstitute.nebraska.edu/workforce-survey.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Friends and family greeted members of the Urban Search and Rescue Nebraska Task Force 1 upon the force’s return to Lincoln.

The task force members arrived Tuesday in Lincoln to cheers and hugs. Its members helped Texans survive the ravages of Hurricane Harvey, aiding in at least 1,500 rescues since being deployed Aug. 26.

The task force operations were funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The 80-member force is composed mostly of firefighters from Lincoln, Omaha and Papillion.

Officials say the task force will be preparing for possible deployment if Hurricane Irma were to continue strengthening and strikes somewhere in the southeast United States.

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (AP) — Officials say attendance at this year’s Nebraska State Fair in Grand Island was nearly 5 percent higher than last year’s figure.

Fair executive director Joseph McDermott said Tuesday that the attendance was 379,108, about 10,000 less than the record of 389,171 set in 1997, when the fair was held in Lincoln. The fair was moved to Grand Island in 2010 and has been held in the south-central Nebraska city since.

The 2017 fair ran from Aug. 25 through Monday. The highest daily attendance occurred on Aug. 26, when 62,954 people joined the fairgrounds fun.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The Trump administration’s decision to wind down a federal program that shields thousands of young immigrants from deportation is drawing a sharp rebuke from Nebraska advocates, business leaders and participating youths who now face an uncertain future.

More than 200 people rallied at the Nebraska Capitol on Tuesday to protest the decision, announced earlier in the day.

Nebraska has roughly 3,000 immigrants who participate in President Barack Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

The program has provided nearly 800,000 young immigrants a reprieve from deportation and the ability to work legally in the U.S. It was designed for youths who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children.

Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts and Attorney General Doug Peterson have criticized the policy, with Peterson arguing it’s unconstitutional.

SCOTTBLUFF, Neb. (AP) — An airline providing government-subsidized service to three Nebraska and two Kansas cities plans to end the flights later this month.

PenAir notified the U.S. Transportation Department last week that service to Kearney, North Platte and Scottsbluff in Nebraska and to Dodge City and Liberal in Kansas will cease after Sunday. The information was first reported by an airline industry news site, ch-aviation.com.

The Anchorage, Alaska-based carrier announced last month that it was filing a Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization plan and planning to close its Denver hub.

The company says it had intended to continue service until replacement carriers were chosen and in place, but it says a massive exodus of its pilots forced it to end the two states’ service far sooner.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The latest forecast for upland game birds in the state has been released.

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission’s hunting outlook is based on spring and summer upland game surveys and reports from biologists.

The report describes populations of northern bobwhite quail, pheasants and prairie grouse in different regions of the state.

The numbers of northern bobwhites have increased statewide since last year while the pheasant population is similar. The prairie grouse population has declined.

The full report is available online at www.OutdoorNebraska.gov/Upland .

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Officials with the Ronald McDonald House in Omaha are trying to raise more than $10 million to expand the facility.

The organization announced the Hope and Healing Expansion project Wednesday.

The project would add 20,000 square feet and 20 guest rooms to the facility, which houses families of children receiving medical treatment in the city.

The facility now has 20 rooms. Families were turned away nearly 800 times last year.

Plans also include adding an in-house clinic and infusion center that will be operated by Nebraska Medicine.

The additional space will allow the facility to offer programming, including classes for children who are missing school because of their hospital stays.

Officials hope to expand the facility by 2019. About $8.7 million has been raised so far.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska lawmakers are looking for ways to bolster tourism throughout the state in hopes of attracting more visitors, but a tight budget could make it harder to spend additional money.

Tourism leaders say they don’t yet know what proposals might emerge in next year’s legislative session, but argue that state officials should do more to expand the state’s third-largest industry.

Early ideas include partnerships between the state and local governments to pay for new facilities, such as visitors’ centers, or maintenance of local historic buildings. Industry officials are also interested in so-called tourism improvement districts that would generate money from local hotels and businesses.

A hearing is set for Friday at the request of Sen. Dan Quick, of Grand Island.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A monthly survey of business leaders suggests more economic growth lies ahead for nine Midwest and Plains states.

A report released Friday says the Mid-America Business Conditions Index rose to 57.5 in August from 56.1 in July. Creighton University economist Ernie Goss oversees the survey, and he says it “points to solid growth for both manufacturing and nonmanufacturing for the rest of 2017.”

The survey results are compiled into a collection of indexes ranging from zero to 100. Survey organizers say any score above 50 suggests growth in that factor. A score below that suggests decline.

The survey covers Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma and South Dakota.

GERING, Neb. (AP) — A 24-year-old Nebraska Panhandle man has taken a plea deal in the crash death of a passenger in his pickup truck.

Court records say Joshua Bolzer pleaded no contest to felony vehicular homicide after prosecutors dropped two related counts. His sentencing is set for Oct. 20.

Authorities say Bolzer, of Mitchell, was speeding in his pickup truck on Aug. 20 last year when it went out of control on U.S. Highway 26 on the west edge of Mitchell and hit a utility pole, a tractor and a liquor store.

A passenger in the truck, 19-year-old Dereon Betancur, was pronounced dead at the scene. Two other 19-year-old passengers were hospitalized.