Return to Articles

3.06.2024

Welcome to First 5 Nevada!

From newborn through preschool, a child develops more rapidly than at any other time in their life. Research also shows that the quality of a child’s experiences in these first five years help shape how their brain develops. These experiences have a lasting impact on health, and the ability to learn and succeed when they reach school age and beyond. Quality early childhood development is good for our kids, good for our parents, good for our employers and good for Nevada.

That is why we created First 5 Nevada! We want to ensure that every family in Nevada has access to the programs, resources, and supports they need to help their children grow and thrive.

Being a parent can be hard, especially trying to find the programs and services that your child and family need, based on your specific circumstances. In Nevada, there are hundreds of programs to support child care and early education, maternal and child health, mental health, nutrition, financial assistance and more. But finding these programs, trying to determine if you are eligible to receive services, and applying can be difficult. First 5 Nevada puts all of these programs, services and resources in one place – making it easier for families to find the services they need, when they need them!

Five Key Features of First 5 Nevada:

1. Early Childhood Programs Eligibility Portal

First 5 Nevada provides an easy-to-use system to help you identify all of the programs and services that your family may qualify for. It takes about five minutes to complete the survey that will assess your needs and your eligibility for nearly 30 programs throughout the state. 

No matter where you live or what your income is, there are programs and services available for you! 

The portal includes programs for child care, early education, health care, mental health, financial assistance, nutrition, parent education and much more! Just click “See What You Qualify For” on any page to begin!

In addition to the portal, the website provides an overview of all of the programs, services and resources for you to browse through. They are divided into five service areas:

1-Child Care and Early Education

2-Health and Safety

3-Special Needs and Early Intervention

4-Food and Nutrition

5-Parenting and Family Support

Each program overview includes a description of the program or service, eligibility requirements, how to apply, and where to go or who to contact for more information. We also have articles, events and resources related to each area. There is something for everyone with young children!

2. Key Milestones during Pregnancy and the First 5 Years

Children don’t come with an instruction manual. Knowing what to expect at various ages of development can help you determine what your child needs and how to support his overall growth. And development starts in the first trimester of pregnancy. 

In our Milestones section, parents and families can learn about key stages of development, beginning prenatally through age 5. At each stage, you can get information on how your child is growing and developing, things to share with your doctor, how to support your child to learn and grow, as well as tips and activities to support their development. 

This section also includes key resources, including what to do if you have concerns about your child’s development and information on a no-cost developmental tracker app that you can personalize for your child.

3. What is an Early Childhood System and How Can I Get Involved?

Although there are a lot more programs and services available than some realize, we also know that much more is needed in Nevada to ensure that every child, no matter their circumstances, has access to high-quality programs and services that meet their needs. 

The first step to improving access is to understand how the early childhood system in Nevada works and what is needed to make improvements. In order to meet the needs of Nevada’s families, it is critical that parents and families are involved and engaged in making these improvements. 

First 5 Nevada offers a simple overview of the early childhood system in Nevada, including key definitions and information parents and families can use to help explain why early childhood matters. 

There is also a section dedicated to helping families get involved. This includes a list of parent groups and advisory groups to get involved with, information on how to impact policy to support early childhood, as well as community events and meetings for you and your family. 

4. Connect with Help – AI Chat or Connect with a Navigator to Answer Questions or Share Experiences

First 5 Nevada strives to provide as much information as possible in a simple format to help parents and families find the programs, services, and resources they need. However, we understand that we won’t be able to address every issue on this site. 

First 5 Nevada features an AI-powered chat feature that will help answer any questions you may have by accessing up to 5,000 documents related to programs, services, and resources for Nevada’s early childhood system. 

We will also have live support staff, Navigators, who can answer questions through email or by phone. Just click “Chat with Us” to get started – you can easily be connected to a Navigator if you do not want to use the chat feature. 

We also want to hear from you about how we can improve programs and services for you and your children. If you have needs that are not being met with existing services, or you are experiencing barriers to accessing those programs and services, we want to know. Our staff will do everything we can to get you connected to the services you need and can also identify issues that may need to be addressed by program administrators or elected officials to remove barriers for you and other families in Nevada. 

5. Parenting Supports – Read Articles and Access Videos to Learn More About How to Support Your Children, Including Resources, Tips and Fun Activities

Parents are their child’s first teacher. First 5 Nevada will feature a number of articles, blog posts, videos and other resources that will provide you with the information and support you need to help your child learn and grow. 

You can sign up for our monthly newsletter or view articles on our website, which will feature new information every month on topics that are relevant to you. You can also submit requests for specific topics or even submit an article, tip or activity to be featured in our newsletter and our website. 

You can sign up or access the newsletter from any page on the site, or you can contact us to see how you can submit something to share with other families in Nevada!

First 5 Nevada is made possible through grants from the Office of Child Care, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to the Nevada Division of Welfare and Supportive Services, Child Care and Development Program (Grant #2021, G990232), and the Nevada Department of Education, Office of Early Learning and Development, Preschool Development Grant Birth to Five (Grant #90TP099).  Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Office of Child Care, the Administration for Children and Families, or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The First 5 Nevada website and campaign are administered by The Children’s Cabinet.