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early childhood needs as an economic development and community vitality effort. A component of this technical assistance package is paid subscriptions to the Nebraska Early Childhood Exchange, a shared services model provided by the Nebraska Early Childhood Collaborative.

Establishing or expanding the operation of community- or neighborhood-based family child care networks. Describe: CCDF monies are used to fund Sixpence Child Care Partnership Grants which create a network of providers interested in improving the quality of care specific to infants and toddlers. Grant funds are used to host professional development for all as well as professional learning communities of providers seeking to earn higher education and/or CDA credentials. In addition to Sixpence Child Care Partnership Grants, the privately funded Communities for Kids Initiative supports convening of community stakeholders, including child care providers, to assess and plan for the early childhood needs as an economic development and community vitality effort. In many communities, this is the only time that child care providers have met each other. Informal networking is a byproduct of the Communities for Kids Initiative.

Providing training and professional development to enhance child care providers' ability to provide developmentally appropriate services for infants and toddlers Describe: - First Connections - Online college-level professional development regarding development and strategies for teaching and caring for children birth to age 3. - Sixpence early childhood education endowment grants for center-based services and for child care partnerships provide professional development to early childhood professionals providing education and care for infants and toddlers. - Early Learning Connection Partnerships in every part of the state provide training for infant and toddler professionals.

Providing coaching, mentoring, and/or technical assistance on this age group's unique needs from statewide or territory-wide networks of qualified infant-toddler specialists Describe: Sixpence early childhood education endowment child care partnerships provide a trained coach available to each early childhood center or family child care home. Sixpence is a Nebraska Page 284 of 314