HARTINGTON, Neb. -- An early childhood conference held in northeast Nebraska aimed to strengthen relationships between teachers and parents within their community.

Cedar County Communities conference gave teachers and parents a chance to work with others in the field to elevate early care and education.

One of those was Maesik Nordhues who works at the Cardinal Kids Learning Center in Randolph.

She wanted to bring more back to her classroom and learn ways to support children in her classroom.

“We do have a lot of kids in our community that we don’t see that [support] with," Nordhues said. "Where maybe we can grow from them and add more support to their lives if they are not seeking it or getting it outside of their.”

All activities done during the conference revolved around the theme of supporting children.

Early Childhood Nebraska Extension Educator and Hartington native Jackie Steffen said the organization’s mission is to collaborate with teachers and parents to ensure every child in Cedar county has access to quality childhood environments.

“We want to elevate the early childhood profession," Steffen said. "We want to educate others about the importance of early care and education. We want to support local early childhood initiatives.”

Steffen said the conference is planned to be a yearly event and hope to engage professionals in the field with other professionals.