This page serves as a centralized space for tools, templates, reports, and best practices to support your work in strengthening Nevada’s early childhood systems. Whether you're planning, coordinating, or implementing initiatives, these shared resources are designed to promote collaboration, streamline efforts, and enhance impact across communities.
Since 2022, the BUILD Initiative has worked to promote our vision of a comprehensive early childhood system in which families can easily access high-quality early learning and development opportunities regardless of their neighborhood, and agencies working with children and families can have the resources to meet the needs of our diverse young child and family population.
Click HERE to watch the BUILD Initiative video that describes their vision of Systems Building.
Harvard University – Center on the Developing Child
This brief is part of series from Harvard University’s Center on the Developing Child which addresses the importance of early childhood development and the science that explains why this period of development is critical. The site includes a high level overview of the brain science, as well as links to a videos that help explain the research. Videos and reports are available in English and Spanish.
Click HERE to access the In Brief video and learn more from the Center on the Developing Child.
The online, interactive mapping tool provides data on health indicators, infant health equity, health resources, and demographic characteristics for the U.S. and specific geographic locations including state, county, census, municipality, territory and zip code levels.
Click HERE to access the map.
In 2024, the Guinn Center for Policy Priorities at UNR completed a study on Nevada's Early Childhood Governance Structure - "From Crowded to Coordinated: Examining the Governance of Nevada's Early Childhood System". The report includes an in-depth overview of Nevada's system, as well as recommendations to improve our structure to create a coordinated, unified system.
Click HERE to read the full report.
The Children's Funding Project collaborated with The Children's Cabinet to conduct a full strategic public finance plan and analysis of Nevada's early childhood system. Strategic Public Financing is a process that allows states and communities to assign a cost to their goals and priorities for children and youth, and to identify ways to cover those costs. April 2025
Click HERE to read the full report.
The state fiscal map provides data about how Nevada funds are targeted to specific outcomes, services, age groups and populations to help inform decision making and future strategic public financing. The map currently includes data for fiscal years 2019 to 2021, but will updated soon to provide more recent data.
Click HERE to access the interactive fiscal map.
The Self-Sufficiency Standard defines the amount of income necessary to meet the basic needs of working-age families in Nevada without public or private assistance. Use the calculator to determine income needs based on location and household composition.
Click HERE to access the NV Self-Sufficiency Standard Calculator.
The NV EC CIRS Workgroup is a collaborative initiative established in September 2023 aimed at improving access to health, early learning, social services, and family support services for young children and their families in Nevada. The Workgroup has been working to explore opportunities to develop a coordinated intake and referral system - a unified, user-friendly platform that facilitates seamless referrals, enhances communication across sectors, and ensures that families have access to the resources they need.
Click HERE to read the 2024 NV EC CIRS Executive Summary.
The Nevada Early Childhood Advisory Council (ECAC) works to strengthen state-level coordination and collaboration among the various sectors and settings of early childhood programs. The 2022-2024 Strategic Plan (which was extended through 2025) outlines the goals, objectives and key priorities of the ECAC.
Click HERE to see the NV ECAC Strategic Plan.
Nevada’s Early Childhood Obesity Prevention Plan (2021-2026) focuses on community strategies to help support a healthy start for children. The plan targets children from birth to eight years of age and promotes obesity preventive behaviors including: healthy eating; increasing physical activity; limiting sedentary time (especially screen/media); gaining adequate sleep; and providing breastfeeding support. Establishing healthy habits within the first five years of life is critical for a child’s lifelong health and development.
Click HERE to access the document.
This study offers critical context for Nevada’s early care and education system by gathering insights from parents and HBCC providers on their experiences, available supports, and areas for improvement needed to enhance outcomes for children, families, and caregivers. This study was released in February 2025.
Click HERE to read the full report.
Visual Network Labs developed a network mapping and analysis of the NV early childhood system that measures the quantity and quality of interactions, identifying strong connections and key players, highlighting gaps and silos and assessing key outcomes. The final report was presented to the Nevada Early Childhood Advisory Council in May 2023.
Click HERE to read the full report.
The HRSA Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems (ECCS) Asset & Gap Analysis (SAGA) was developed as a tool to understand the landscape of the state’s early childhood system and existing efforts to address integration of the early childhood system and health sector. The SAGA also laid the foundation for the ECCS Prenatal to Age Three Strategic Plan. Completed in December 2023.
Click HERE to read the full report.
A collaborative effort of over 40 early childhood stakeholders to develop the Nevada Early Childhood Education Workforce Support Framework. The framework includes supports and strategies across four areas:
Click HERE to read the report by SRI.
Do you have a tool, report or resource that you'd like to share? Contact us at Info@First5Nevada.org to request additional information.
First 5 Nevada, a program of The Children's Cabinet, is partially supported with funding from the Administration for Children and Families Child Care and Development Fund through a subaward agreement with the Nevada Division of Social Services, Child Care and Development Program (Grant #G00996005). First 5 Nevada was initially developed with funding from the Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five Initiative (PDG B-5), Grant Number 90TP0099, awarded to the Nevada Department of Education, from the Office of Child Care, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the the Office of Child Care, the Administration for Children and Families, or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
