Nebraska child care advocates say more spaces like this are needed for preschoolers across the state. Shown is the Educare Omaha program at Indian Hill Elementary School in South Omaha. (Courtesy of Buffett Early Childhood Institute)
OMAHA — Earlier this year, Omahan Walter Gilliam was invited to talk to Connecticut lawmakers about the benefits of what soon became a $300 million endowment fund to reduce child care costs for families and create thousands of new preschool slots in that state.
Last week, Gilliam, executive director of the University of Nebraska’s Buffett Early Childhood Institute, said he was on the phone advising Kentucky officials who want to pass similar legislation.
But in the state he’s called home since 2023, Gilliam said he has not witnessed meaningful movement toward legislation that would grow the amount of child care spaces. The inertia comes as the Buffett group puts the gap between potential need and capacity in the state at roughly 17,500 slots, despite Nebraska legislators saying child care should be a priority…