There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about.
– Margaret J. Wheatley, American writer and organizational change maker

Child care providers and families can be a powerful force together. Often, parent groups and child care provider groups occupy very different spaces. What could happen if providers and parents came together to understand the common needs among child care providers and families in early care and education?

Nebraska Early Childhood Collaborative’s Parent Ambassador program is pioneering a model of parent and provider leadership development that is increasing civic engagement in the state. The Parent Ambassador program is a year-long opportunity for child care providers and parents to learn valuable skills for advocacy. This empowered approach to coalition building has strengthened collaboration between child care providers and the families they work with.

When parents and child care providers find common ground and stand strong together for young children, communities are better positioned to invest in the well-being of young children, to rise above the challenges, highlight the joys, and gain the respect child care providers so urgently require.

If you are a Nebraska parent, provider, or both, caring for young children, you can apply to join the next cohort of ambassadors through June.