Southern Nevada city picked for national early childhood support initiative

The city of Henderson was selected to take part in a nationwide initiative focused on strengthening support systems for young children and families, officials announced on Tuesday.

Henderson was one of 16 municipalities across the U.S. chosen to participate in the National League of Cities’ Prenatal-to-Three Impact Lab, according to a release. It’s a nine-month technical assistance program connecting national experts with selected cities to advance support strategies for mothers, infants and young children during critical stages of early development.

Tara Phebus, head of Henderson’s education initiatives, told councilmembers during Tuesday’s City Council meeting that participating cities will receive guidance to improve coordination across private and public sectors and develop possible solutions to local challenges accessing housing, workforce participation and gaps in social services, while still promoting policies that support family stability and economic success.

“It’s designed to help engage all the participating cities and exploring the intersections between early childhood, housing and economic security, really looking at what we can do really early for people to prevent the need for some of these other services later,” Phebus said. “Children and families don’t live in isolation. They live in systems that cross different sectors, departments of government agencies, and all of that alignment really helps to support those outcomes.”

Phebus said the city was selected in part for its strong record of collaboration with other cities and national groups and leadership in advancing economic security for families and educational opportunities.

The ultimate goal, she said, is for the city to develop a plan that will help address existing shortcomings for mothers and young children and to incorporate that plan to address overall economic security for families in historically underserved neighborhoods.

Henderson Community and Neighborhood Programs manager Hayley Jarolimek said during Tuesday’s meeting that introducing support to infants and young children can have long term impacts on family stability and child development.

By having multiple departments within the city work together, she said, Henderson can better deliver services to those in need.

“We will also identify where city services overlap and where co-investment opportunities exist, ensuring resources are used efficiently and strategically to support our youngest residents and their families,” Jarolimek said.

In January, the city broke ground on a $17.6 million preschool and child education center within the Cadence master-planned community. The planned 17,000-square-foot facility is expected to open in 2027, the city has stated previously.

Although that educational center is designed for children outside the age range for the National League of Cities program, Mayor Michelle Romero said it reflected the Henderson’s commitment to early childhood development.

“Our focus on education is community wide,” Romero said. “Everything we can do to get our kids ready to learn and to be successful is great work.”