Throughout my Lutheran Volunteer Corps service year in Omaha with Voices for Children in Nebraska, I have found meaning in joining Voices for Children’s work to make the state a better place for children and families through policy advocacy. Here, my main focus has been on economic stability issues, centered on the idea that…...
The Opportunity Gap and “Our Kids”
The opportunity gap — the gap in resources necessary for academic success — remains among the critical challenges facing kids in Nebraska and nationwide. Recently, some Voices for Children staff attended a seminar in Omaha entitled “The Impact of Widening Opportunity Gaps,” featuring Dr. Robert D. Putnam. Highlighting themes from…...
Child poverty: Not just about income
Last month, the Brookings Institution released a two-part report, “Five evils: Multidimensional poverty and race in America,” examining the intersection of race, place, and poverty across the country. Looking beyond household income, the report identifies other measures of poverty—lack of employment, limited education, lack of health insurance, and living in…...
Equality Before the Law: Commentary Series Part 3, Education Indicators
This year’s Kids Count in Nebraska Report featured a commentary debuting our new Index of Race & Opportunity for Nebraska Children. This blog post is the third in a series diving into the commentary. In the first post we introduced the commentary and detailed our methodology, and last week we looked at…...