Click here to read our full issue brief, Work and Family Life: Creating a Better Balance. No working parent with a sick child should have to choose between making ends meet at work and taking time off to care for his or her child. Senator Crawford has introduced LB 850, which would…...
New 2016 Assets & Opportunity Scorecard finds the Economic Recovery is Incomplete for Many Families
The Corporation for Enterprise Development (CFED) released yesterday their annual Assets & Opportunity Scorecard. Every year, the Scorecard details how financially secure American families are, and what policies are effective in improving that situation. This year, they find that the current economic situation offers little chance for families to improve…...
Legislative Update
Today marks the 9th day of the 2016 Nebraska Legislature, and this year’s short 60-day session promises to be an important session for kids and families in our state. In the coming months, the Unicameral will consider many bills impacting child well-being in the areas of child welfare, economic stability,…...
OPPD Board: Vote Against Rate Restructuring Proposal
This past Tuesday, a letter of opposition to the rate restructuring proposal was submitted to the Omaha Public Power District (OPPD) Board of Directors meeting. Along with thirty-plus other organizations and businesses, Voices for Children has put our support behind this letter. While appreciate that OPPD has explored modifications to…...
OPPD Rate Change Proposal May Disempower Low-Income Families
All families deserve to have access to reasonably-priced utilities, to keep the lights on and the heat running for themselves and their children. However, recent events have undermined that promise. This past month, the Omaha Public Power District (OPPD) has announced proposals that would increase the overall utilities rate by…...
Payday Lending Creates Challenges for Nebraska Families
With low unemployment rates and high numbers of parents in the workforce, we know that Nebraska families are working hard. However, sometimes hard work is not enough to pay the bills. When these situations arise, payday lenders are there to offer short-term loans. In these transactions, the customer gets…...
Voices for Children Testimony on LR 181
Earlier today, Voices for Children Economic Stability and Health Policy Coordinator Aubrey Mancuso testified on LR 181, an interim study to examine Nebraska’s workforce, especially in high need areas, and support personal responsibility and professional growth for all Nebraskans. Voices for Children testified on the need to ensure that…...
As Child Care Costs Increase, Nebraska Must Support Its Families
Our state and communities are stronger when we support parents in the workplace and ensure families can achieve financial security. Last week, a report was released detailing the rising cost of child care for families across the United States. In it, the authors revealed that for most working families with…...
Equality Before the Law: Commentary Series Part 7, Final Index Scores and Recommendations
This year’s Kids Count in Nebraska Report featured a commentary debuting our new Index of Race & Opportunity for Nebraska Children. After spending the last 6 weeks introducing the commentary and detailed our methodology, and diving into the 13 indicators by issue area: health, education, economic stability, child welfare and juvenile justice, we…...