Amid growing concerns over staffing shortages in childcare facilities, Nebraska communities are taking a proactive step by planning to establish a regional substitute network. This initiative aims to ensure that childcare programs remain operational even when regular staff members are unavailable.
Tracy Gordon, the executive director of the Nebraska Association for the Education of Young Children, emphasized the widespread impact of these shortages. Gordon noted, “The current childcare staffing shortages that we see everywhere affect not only the childcare programs, but the parents that they serve, the employers of the parents, and the community.”
Once operational, the network will feature an app designed to link providers with qualified substitutes. Prospective substitute teachers will collaborate with a coordinator from the Nebraska Association for the Education of Young Children to complete a background check and verify their qualifications and training.
Although the foundation for the network is set, some challenges remain, such as expanding the project statewide, accommodating non-English speaking individuals, and ensuring proper identification for substitutes upon arrival at childcare facilities.
Currently, organizers are seeking four additional communities to participate in the pilot project before advancing further. The pilot receives partial funding from a grant, with the remainder supported by community investments.
Val Hyde, the community coordinator for Communities for Kids Lincoln County, was quick to support the pilot. According to Hyde, the substitute pool offers numerous advantages, particularly in allowing current childcare staff more flexibility for breaks. He remarked, “There’s a lot of burnout. That’s because a lot of people feel like, ‘If I take a day off, then my director has to come into this classroom,’ or ‘She has to take more on.’” Hyde believes that this initiative will empower staff to prioritize self-care without feeling guilty about taking time off.
The substitute pool also presents an opportunity for individuals to explore childcare as a potential career path. Hyde highlighted the need for new caregivers as several in-home providers in Lincoln County retire, leaving a gap for 288 children who qualify for childcare but lack available spots.
Suzanne Schneider, associate director of Lincoln Littles in Lincoln, underscored the severity of the issue, noting that although there are roughly 19,000 children aged 0 to 5, the current capacity only supports 14,000. “They might be licensed for, say, 100 children, but if they’re short with staffing, they can now only enroll 80 children,” Schneider explained. This shortage compounds the challenges families face, such as high childcare costs and limited availability of quality educational programs.
Additionally, Schneider pointed out that having substitutes could allow childcare staff to undertake necessary training during regular working hours, rather than sacrificing their evenings or weekends. “They can do that during daytime hours instead of having to do it in the evenings and weekends, and so I think that could help take off some of the stress with the staff,” she said.
Sara Voss, who manages tuition assistance and quality programs at Lincoln Littles, believes the substitute pool could enhance the perception of early childhood education as a profession. “When we look at a public school, those teachers are able to take a day off or go to an appointment. We need to have that same level of coverage for early childhood providers because they’re working all day as well,” Voss stated. She emphasized the importance of supporting providers in viewing themselves as professionals.
Recent Laws Streamline the Background Check Process
The Nebraska Legislature has passed several laws in recent years to streamline background checks and improve substitute pools for childcare. A recent bill clarified the process for employees transitioning between jobs or childcare centers, allowing them to begin work under supervision after clearing a federal or state fingerprint check. Full clearance is still required to work independently.
Mitchell Clark, a policy advisor at First Five Nebraska, explained, “What’s important to note with this legislation is that it may not necessarily reduce the amount of time that those checks take to clear, but get you started sooner while the rest of the process is clearing, so essentially it’s a fast track.”
