LINCOLN- According to the 2023 Nebraska Rural Poll, just over 60% of rural Nebraskans surveyed agree that there is a shortage of affordable childcare options in their community, with just 6% of respondents disagreeing with that statement. More than three-quarters of those surveyed also agreed or strongly agreed with the idea that increasing access to high-quality, affordable childcare should be a high priority for their communities.

"Access to high-quality childcare is an economic and social investment," said Holly Hatton-Bowers, an associate professor of child, youth, and family studies at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, "Childcare providers are essential for supporting families and businesses, and the provision of high-quality early learning and care is an investment in our children's futures."

57% of those surveyed echoed that sentiment, agreeing with the idea that their communities should invest public resources to support the availability of childcare. "This data reinforces what we've been hearing from communities across the state," said Becky Vogt, the poll's manager, "When community residents are advocating for investing public dollars to address this issue, that speaks volumes as to how important childcare is to their communities."

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