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providers working in high poverty areas of the Omaha area. - Legislation by the Nebraska Unicameral has enabled CCDF quality set aside money to be used to fund new grants from the Nebraska Early Childhood Education Grant Program for children birth to age 3 (commonly known as Sixpence. This legislation will require local school districts to partner with community child care homes or child care centers to improve the quality of child care for infants and toddlers. The grants are competitive and awarded to the best proposals serving children who are most at risk. Sixpence programs are also required to participate in Step Up to Quality. - Step up to Quality is mandatory for programs receiving more than $250,000 per year in child care subsidy. This ensures that programs serving large concentrations of children of low income will participate in quality improving initiatives.

Caring for and supporting the development of children with disabilities and

developmental delays Describe: - Special care, a curriculum for child care providers that focuses on reducing the barriers to full inclusion of children with disabilities, is being revised. It will be available to child care providers across the state. This training curriculum is funded through CCDF and IDEA Part C. - Planning Region Teams from across the state periodically provide training on including children with disabilities - funded through Federal IDEA Part C funds. - Nebraska also supports the dissemination of Cara's Kits and the TAM Technology fan (produced by the technology and Media division of the Council for Exceptional Children). These resources assist early education and care providers in working through decisions regarding supports for children with disabilities to enable them to participate fully in early childhood programs. - The NDE Offices of Early Childhood Education and Special education work in collaboration with DHHS and Educational Service Units (ESUs) to provide coaching supports for teachers of young children. These are funded through Federal IDEA funds and state general funds.

Supporting the positive development of school-age children Describe: Beyond School Bells, a network for out of school time providers offers training for staff serving school age children - funded through private grants, and CCDF funds. NDE provides 21st Century Learning Community grants to local school districts to provide programs and services for out-of-school time. NDE provides training for 21St Century Learning staff. - Funded through Federal 21St Century (Title) funds. School-age Nebraska Page 276 of 314