In the 2023 Nebraska Rural Poll 61% agreed there's a shortage of affordable child care in their communities, and more than 75% said their communities should do more to address this need.

Sen. John Fredrickson focused on recruiting and retaining child care providers in his priority bill, Legislative Bill 856. The Omaha Democrat said he modeled the bill after a successful law in Kentucky.

Under the measure, child care providers who work at least 20 hours a week would qualify for the federal child care subsidy for their own child's care, regardless of their income.

"We found that there are child care providers who would otherwise qualify, but because there was almost this cliff effect, their income would prohibit them from qualifying," Fredrickson observed. "This takes that out as a factor for them and allows them to qualify for their own children."

As of mid-2022, the average annual salary for full-time Nebraska child care workers was $28,000. The yearly cost of child care for a toddler in Nebraska averages $7,500 in a home-based setting, and nearly $10,500 in a child care center.

The first hearing on the bill was last Friday, but the Health and Human Services Committee has not yet taken action.

Fredrickson stressed although the income requirement for the child care subsidy would be waived, providers would still have to meet the other federal eligibility requirements. He noted the measure could have a wide-reaching impact.

"If we can attract, or even retain, 10 providers, that opens up upwards of 70 slots, so 70 different families," Fredrickson pointed out. "The potential this has for ripple effects on the economy and also on the availability of workforce is really significant."

In 2022, Sarah Vanover, now with Kentucky Youth Advocates, oversaw implementation of the Kentucky program that inspired Fredrickson's bill. Vanover said nearly 3,500 providers and 6,000 children participate, and child care directors report having lower employee turnover.

"I think that it's really important for the child care providers because they don't always get additional benefits other than an hourly wage," Vanover noted. "But this also benefits the stability of the child care program and the economic outcomes of the community. So it has a threefold benefit."

The Federal child care subsidy is for children up to the age of 13, or up to the age of 19 for children with a disability or in foster care.


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Everybody loves to get something free and right now, kids aged 12-17 can get a fishing and hunting license at no cost from the Nevada Department of Wildlife.

The license is good for one year and normally sells for $15.

Bobby Jones, outdoor connection coordinator for the Nevada Department of Wildlife, said the free licenses are funded by donations to the Nevada Youth License Fund.

"This is actually the third year that the program's been active," Jones explained. "We keep it open as much as possible. We're just limited by the amount of donations that we have. Right now, we have almost 2,000 available and they go fast."

Youth can get a free license on the Nevada Department of Wildlife website or wherever the licenses are sold. Children under age 12 do not need a fishing license. The state said almost two-thirds of the kids who have taken advantage of the program in the past have never had a hunting or fishing license before.

Jones emphasized the program is designed to tempt kids to leave the digital world behind for a short time and enjoy some time outdoors. It could lead them to even consider a nature-based career like wildlife biology, forest management or outdoor education.

"Essentially what we're up against is a lot of kids are engaged in their phones and social media, TV," Jones pointed out. "They're constantly bombarded with things. We're trying to make it a little bit easier for them to enjoy the outdoors."

Some of the most popular fishing spots include Lahontan in the Fallon area, Wild Horse and South Fork in Eastern Nevada, and Lake Mead down south.


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The University of Nebraska is addressing a shortage of lawyers who represent the state's most vulnerable children, especially in rural areas.

The attorneys are being equipped to work with kids who have suffered through physical, emotional, or financial trauma - and are often living in poverty.

Of Nebraska's 5,500 licensed attorneys, only 7% of them practice in rural areas.

Michelle Paxton, director of the Nebraska Children's Justice and Legal Advocacy Center, said two thirds of child neglect and abuse cases originate outside the Lincoln and Omaha metro areas, in what she calls "rural legal deserts."

"We have twelve counties in Nebraska with zero attorneys living in those counties," said Paxton. "We have 22 with less than three."

Paxton said that there are too few qualified rural child justice attorneys, which means lawyers may drive hundreds of miles for juvenile cases, creating delays and court backlogs.

The University of Nebraska program will add lawyers trained to handle issues unique to children in low-income families.

Attorneys who work on juvenile court cases are getting the tailored knowledge they need, but Paxton added that the program is also creating an opportunity for those attorneys to network and get support from other lawyers in the field - who are often isolated.

"And so they don't often have another attorney doing this type of work that they can rely on for support and mentorship," said Paxton, "and our program provides that support and mentorship so that they are not only willing to continue working in juvenile court, increase their hours in juvenile court and increase their commitment. "

The advocacy center will also develop a case-tracking tool, enabling people to find an attorney online.

Support for this reporting was provided by Lumina Foundation.



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Statistics show one in five children in Texas struggles with hunger.

Approximately 10,000 students a day are getting a nutritious meal through the Summer Food Service Program offered by the Houston Food Bank. The meals are distributed across the food bank's 18-county region.

Jourdan Stansberry, senior manager of education programs for Houston Food Bank, said they partner with summer camps, churches and other nonprofit organizations to serve the students. She added anyone who is not near a meal site can take advantage of their non-congregate option.

"Sites that are considered rural by the Texas Department of Agriculture," Stansberry explained. "It's a grab-and-go model where families can pick up the meals, It's like a five-day bundle of frozen meals, breakfast and snacks, so 10 meals all together. They're able to pick it up and take it home."

Locations of the meal sites in the Houston area and across Texas are available at the Department of Agriculture's Summer Meal Site Map. The meals are available to anyone 18 years old or younger or students with a disability, up to 21 years old.

The meals are distributed at more than 250 sites around the Houston area. Students do not have to register to take advantage of the meals. Stansbury emphasized it is a great way to ensure kids have access to fresh fruits and vegetables during the summer. She added the menus consist of more than just a sandwich and chips.

"One thing that I know has been pretty popular is our orange chicken with rice, and we also have broccoli, vegetable-medley side that goes along with that. We saw also chicken tikka masala," Stansbury outlined. "We try to expose them to different meals, not only healthwise but also culturally."

The Houston Food Bank expects to distribute around 800,000 meals this summer. The meal program runs through Aug. 8.


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