Nebraska child care advocates on defense; providers struggle as bills languish

As strong winds and heavy snow battered Lincoln, Shannon Hampson’s house was unusually quiet – absent the dozen kids who fill her in-home child care with laughter, cries and questions.

Between snow and sicknesses that week, Hampson said she’d be out $540. She’d have to rebudget: maybe she’d buy beans instead of chicken breasts, skip a field trip.

If the kids’ families paid full tuition themselves, absences wouldn’t affect her bottom line. But Hampson offers nearly all her slots to families who qualify for Nebraska’s federally funded child care subsidy. The state will pay for a handful of absences per kid. After that, it only pays providers if the kid shows up.