Early Childhood
The Early Childhood Team with Nebraska Extension supports adults who play a role in young children’s lives by providing information and resources about early child development. Adults play a significant role in setting the stage for young children's lifelong learning, discovery and success.
FEATURED PROGRAMS
Babysitting Clinics
These day-long workshops for students ages 10-16 focus on teaching students necessary skills to be successful babysitters. The workshop covers things like safety, changing a diaper and what it's like to spend time with young children. These clinics are offered annually in the summer months.
Look Who's Hatching
This program brings a hatching experience into early childhood classrooms during spring and summer months. Extension provides all of the supplies needed for a 3-week hatching experience, as well as materials to support young children's exploration of hatching animals in an play-based way.
Challenging Behaviors Series
The Challenging Behaviors series is a seven part series that covers the basics of challenging behavior for early childhood educators. This series is offered annually through Zoom at no cost and provides educators with training hours approved by the Nebraska Department of Education.
Cultivating Healthy Intentional Mindful Educators (CHIME)
The CHIME Program provides education and guidance on how to incorporate mindfulness and reflective practice into your daily routine, teaching, and caregiving.
Individualized Coaching & Professional Development Opportunities
We offer in-classroom coaching opportunities for early childhood educators. We also provide individualized professional development sessions for early childhood centers and organizations.
Topics covered include, but are not limited to:
- Challenging Behaviors
- Child-Led Teaching
- The Importance of Play
- Positive School Culture
Rates for coaching start at $75/hour and rates for individualized professional development start at $85/hour.
If you are an early childhood educator and are interested in individualized coaching or professional development sessions with an Extension educator, please contact us!
MEET YOUR LOCAL EXPERTS
Jaci Foged
Extension Educator, Early Childhood
Jaci is an Extension Educator on the Early Childhood Team leading a multi-state grant focusing on the Cultivating Healthy Intentional Mindful Educators (CHIME) program. Jaci holds a Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education/Child Development from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and a Master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Doane University in Crete, NE. Jaci provides training to childcare providers and families in the Southeast area of Nebraska. Jaci is the Program Coordinator for a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families grant on Head Start University Partnerships: Building the Evidence Base for ECE Workforce Well-being. Since the fall of 2000, Jaci has been working with children birth to 8 years of age, including eight years of center-based childcare director experience.
Hayley Jackson Perez
Extension Educator, Early Childhood
Hayley is an Extension Educator on the Early Childhood Team serving Cass, Lancaster, and Otoe Counties. Originally from Lincoln, Hayley earned a bachelor’s degree from Arizona State University in Human Development & Family Studies. She then moved to Fort Collins, Colo. and graduated with a master’s degree in Human Development & Family Studies, with a concentration in Early Childhood. Currently, Hayley is in the doctoral program at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in the Child, Youth and Family Studies department. Hayley has over 15 years of experience teaching, coaching and leading early childhood programs, including coaching the Malone Early Achiever’s Preschool Program and working at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln Children’s Center as the Assistant Director.
Discover
Knowledge Base & Help Center
Do you have questions about statewide Early Childhood educational programs? Want to learn more about Early Childhood? Need help finding resources that are available to you?
Find information about
Read for Resilience
Choosing Quality Childcare
Co-Parenting
Family Relationships
Family Meals
and much more!
“The best part of this training was the hands-on experiences of Hayley. Nice to hear actual strategies put in place rather than learned from a book. She offers hope.”
— Challenging Behaviors Series Participant
“This [training] was HIGHLY beneficial to my own mental health and the longevity of my career in early childhood!”
— Training Participant