Family First Academy

Family First Academy will provide 24-hour childcare, parent education classes and provide opportunities to earn supplemental income that will support low-income Grand Island area families on their path to family wellness and financial success.

Who We Are
Family First Academy is a start up non-profit organization that aims to be a leader in early childhood care and family development. We are a Grand Island-based non-profit that will provide educational programming and childcare with the intent of providing comprehensive support to those in need. We believe that this is possible with our intentional focus on the areas of LIVE, LEARN, and EARN.

Who We Serve
Our target population is:
a. Low-income working families.
b. Parents who want to provide more for their families than living from pay check to pay check.
c. Those who desire to learn skills that will help them move out of the cycle of poverty.

What We Do
1. Provide affordable high-quality reduced fee 24-hour child care services.

2. Offer high quality food with a focus on natural foods that support the highest nutrition standards. Foods will include fresh fruits and vegetables and food that have limited preservatives, chemical additives, and added fat and sugar.

3. Focus on the whole family, which includes affordable child care, family education opportunities and direct instruction in the areas of: interactive reading and play, positive parenting, nutrition, financial literacy, child development and more.

4. Families can earn vouchers for attending classes and family activities sponsored by Family First Academy. Vouchers can be used for immediate needs or can be saved to acquire durable goods. Vouchers motivate participants to be fully engaged in our program.
*Vouchers cannot be and will never be exchanged for cash.

Testimonials

Hi, my name is Sarah, a few weeks ago I was walking out the door to drop off my kids at my cousin's house when I got a call from her. She said something had come up and she couldn't watch the kids. This was not the first time this had happened. I had no warning and I needed to get to work now! I frantically called friends, but no one was able to watch them on such sort notice. I already knew that I would be late for work and I had to decide right then if I should call in sick and lose a day's pay, beg my neighbor next door that I didn't know very well to watch them, or have my 9-year-old, Amanda, be in charge of her two younger brothers.

I didn't have a good choice. I knew it was wrong, but I left the kids at home with Amanda anyway while I went to work. I felt so guilty. My whole shift I worried about the kids. I sneaked away to call and make sure they were okay. At dinner time I called and tried to explain to Amanda how to use a can opener and heat up soup. At work I was worried and nervous, and had a hard time thinking about what I should be doing.

Understanding Sarah's Choice
Family First Academy believes that no one should have to make those kinds of choices. We understand the predicament that Amanda was facing. There was not a good solution to her problem and she had to choose what she thought was the best option. She had been warned that if she called in sick again she would loose her job; she had called in sick several times before to stay home with the kids when her childcare fell through. Leaving the kids with strangers seemed very dangerous. So, choosing to leave her kids home with her nine-year-old, who seemed to be a responsible kid, seemed to be the best choice even though she knew that she risked the kids getting hurt, or the consequences if someone turned her in to child protective services.

- These are the situations that Family First Academy can alleviate.