Child Care Information for Parents

 
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Children
Children and Family Services
 
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Search For Child Care

The Department of Health and Human Services provides multiple search options to help families find child care that meets their needs. Each search option provides information on:

  • Type of Facility
  • Name and address of licensed child care/preschool program
  • Name of licensee
  • License capacity
  • Hours and days of operation
  • If the child care program accepts Child Care Subsidy
  • Accreditations by the National Association for the Education of Young Children or the National Association for Family Child Care, if applicable

Nebraska Child Care Referral Network & Nebraska R​​esource​ and Referral System

Tip

Nebraska Child Care Referral Network is accessible from all major browsers except Internet Explorer. Microsoft Edge, Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and more are supported.

  • Both sites were created to enable families to locate licensed providers in communities across Nebraska.
  • Options to search include: provider type, age of child needing care, and location. When searching by location, users can customize their search by county, city, or ZIP code.
  • Nebraska Child Care Referral Network also provides Advanced Search tools, including Step Up to Quality rating, current openings, and an interactive map feature.

Nebraska​MAP

NebraskaMAP is an open data site that allows users to access multiple state-agency data in one location. Examples include:

  • ​Licensed child care facilities
  • Local Health Departments
  • Vaccination Services

Roster of Licensed Child Care and Preschool Programs in Nebraska

  • A PDF document organized by ZIP code.
  • Provides facility information for licensed Family Child Care Home I, Family Child Care Home II, Child Care Centers and Preschool Programs in the State of Nebraska.

License Information System Search

  • Lists all licensed child care facilities in the State of Nebraska.
  • Lists any monitoring and inspections completed after October 2018
  • Use the following instructions to search your zip code for child care providers:
    • Go to https://www.nebraska.gov/LISSearch/search.cgi
    • Click "Business/Service Search"
    • Use the "Business/Service" drop down box and select "Early Education"
    • Use the "License Type" drop down box and select your desired type of provider from the options.
    • Enter the zip code you wish to search in the "Zip Code" field.
    • Complete reCAPTCHA verification
    • Click "Search Entries"

Licensing and Monitoring

In Nebraska, anyone who provides child care to four or more children from different families must be licensed as a child care provider.  There are five license types:

  • Family Child Care Home I
  • Family Child Care Home II
  • Child Care Center
  • Preschool
  • School Age Only Center

Programs licensed for 29 or fewer children are subject to one unannounced inspection from DHHS each year to assess compliance with licensing. A minimum of two unannounced inspections each year to assess compliance will occur with programs who are licensed for 30 or more children. Additional inspections may be conducted throughout the year to follow up on complaints or previous violations in compliance. The following are checklists used as tools to determine a program's compliance with licensing regulations:

This Complaints And Discipline Index page lists the negative and disciplinary actions against licensed child care providers in Nebraska. The previous three months' negative action reports are listed. These reports are run and posted to the web site on the 5th of each month for the previous month.

License Exempt Annual Monitoring Compliance

License Exempt providers include the family, friend, and neighbor providers who care for children known to them. These providers will be monitored at a minimum of annually, with any findings and documentation being listed here (See 34 CFR  § 98.42). ​

 

Serious Injury and Death Report

​View a three-year report about serious injuries ​and deaths in child care in Nebraska

How Do I Find High Quality Child Care?

Step Up to Qu​ality, Nebraska's Quality Rating Improvement System, is a program that helps families identify early childhood providers who demonstrate a commitment to quality care. These programs go beyond what is required because they strive to do better for their children's and families' futures.

Search for a Step Up to Quality rated program.