New Nonprofit Tackles Childcare Shortage to Boost Workforce & Economy

The Holdrege Area Early Childhood Partnership Inc., a newly formed nonprofit, is taking action to solve local childcare shortages to strengthen the workforce and economy. 

“Childcare is becoming a major issue in keeping people in the workforce,” PCDC Board Member Grant Ericksen said. “Sustainable childcare can bridge the gap to keep people in the workforce and drive the local economy.”

Ericksen represents PCDC on the organization’s newly formed board of directors.

Holdrege Memorial Homes CEO Kevin Moriarty and Holdrege Area Chamber of Commerce CEO  Lori Larson were instrumental in launching the project along with key leaders at major local employers including Mark Harrel, CEO Phelps Memorial Health Center; Jason Sidel, plant director of embecta; and representatives from Allmand, Inc. 

In 2022, the initial group received a $15,000 grant from the statewide Communities for Kids (C4K) program. Communities for Kids is a program started in 2017 by the Nebraska Children and Families Foundation to help communities, primarily in rural areas, grow and prosper by strengthening and sustaining a quality early childhood care and education infrastructure. More than 67 Nebraska communities are now participating in the program. 

In addition to funding from C4K, Holdrege Memorial Homes and Phelps Memorial Health Center helped fund the project locally. PCDC will join this list of funding partners in 2025.

McKenna Fahrenbruch, owner of Graceful Exposure Social Media Agency, was hired in 2024 to manage the project.  She now serves as the executive director. The partnership’s mission is to ensure that Holdrege families have access to safe, quality childcare to foster a thriving community where both children and businesses can flourish.

Some of the projects the group has supported so far include:

• Infant Incentive Program: Monthly incentives for providers who open spots for infants, addressing a critical shortage.
• Extended Hours Program: Provides incentives for childcare providers to offer extended hours, catering to local businesses that require extended shift care for parents.
• Step Up to Quality: Encourages local providers to register for the Step Up to Quality program to receive coaching and professional development on early childhood development. Providers who complete the program and meet standards are eligible to receive increased childcare subsidy rates.
• Christmas Wish Lists: Collects donations for new toys and games to benefit local childcare centers.
• Education: Promotes new childcare tax credits for providers, parents, and businesses supporting childcare facilities.

Larson said the original group discovered a gap in providing care for children of parents working overnight or 12-hour shifts. If a childcare facility opens at 7 a.m., but the parent has to be at work at 7 a.m., there is a lack of care for that short time.

“The result is people were leaving positions, and it became difficult to find the workforce to staff those 24-hour industries like the hospital, nursing homes and  manufacturing,” Larson said. 

The Extended Hours incentive is one way the group is helping solve that problem.

"We also want to ensure our children are being cared for with the highest quality of services,” Larson said. “We used the state’s Step Up to Quality as a resource  to scale up what our community can offer.”

Fahrenbruch said the long-term goal of the organization is to enhance sustainability for local businesses and childcare programs.

“We aim to provide our incentive programs and resources over the long term to support the growth of Holdrege,” she said. “By doing so, we hope to ensure that there are enough open childcare spots available for businesses, allowing them to hire new employees while offering quality childcare options for their children.”

The partnership is governed by a board of directors consisting of Kevin Moriarty (Holdrege Memorial Homes CEO), Mark Harrel (PMHC CEO), Lori Larson (HACC CEO), Lindsay Sullivan (PMHC Controller), Grant Ericksen (PCDC Board/Principal Financial), Jason Sidel (embecta Plant Director), John Poppert (ESU 11 Administrator), and Holly Rahmann (PMHC Marketing & Business Director).

Major partners are Communities for Kids (C4K), PCDC, embecta, Phelps Memorial Health Center, and Holdrege Memorial Homes.

How to Get Involved

Businesses can participate by donating. Contributions will support programs that help maintain quality care and address the childcare shortage. Companies that commit to multi-year donations or contribute $5,001 or more will be placed on a Provider Priority List, giving their employees childcare preference, a key benefit for recruitment and retention. Reach out to Fahrenbruch at holdregeareaecp@gmail.com with questions or to donate.

For information about the new childcare tax credit for employers and donors, visit holdregeareaecp.com or https://nebraskachildcaretaxcredit.org 

Childcare providers can participate by registering for the Step Up to Quality program. Those who advance to Step 2 within one year become eligible to receive incentives to sustain and enhance their childcare centers.