as introduced - 92nd Legislature (2021 - 2022) Posted on 02/01/2021 04:19pm
A bill for an act
relating to child care; establishing a grant program for family, friend, and neighbor
child care; requiring a report; appropriating money.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
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(a) A family, friend, and neighbor (FFN) grant program
is established to promote children's social-emotional learning and healthy development,
early literacy, and school readiness and to foster community partnerships to promote
children's school readiness. The commissioner of health must make grants available to fund:
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(1) community health boards, local or regional libraries, community-based organizations,
nonprofit organizations, and Indian tribes working with FFN caregivers under subdivision
2; and
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(2) community-based partnerships to implement early literacy programs under subdivision
3.
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(b) The commissioner must attempt to ensure that grants under subdivisions 2 and 3 are
made in all areas of the state.
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(a) Grants awarded by the commissioner
under this subdivision may be used by community health boards, local or regional libraries,
community-based organizations, nonprofit organizations, and Indian tribes working with
FFN caregivers in local communities, cultural communities, and Indian tribes to:
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(1) provide training, support, and resources to FFN caregivers to improve and promote
children's health, safety, nutrition, and school readiness;
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(2) connect FFN caregivers and children's families with appropriate community resources
that support the families' physical and mental health and economic and developmental needs;
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(3) connect FFN caregivers and children's families to early childhood screening programs
and facilitate referrals where appropriate;
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(4) provide FFN caregivers and children's families with information about early learning
guidelines from the Departments of Human Services and Education;
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(5) provide FFN caregivers and children's families with information about becoming a
licensed family child care provider; and
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(6) provide FFN caregivers and children's families with information about early learning
allowances and enrollment opportunities in high quality, community-based child care and
preschool programs.
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(b) Grants that the commissioner awards under paragraph (a) may also be used for:
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(1) social-emotional learning, health and safety, and early learning kits for FFN
caregivers;
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(2) play and learn groups with FFN caregivers;
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(3) culturally appropriate early childhood training for FFN caregivers;
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(4) transportation for FFN caregivers and children's families for school readiness and
other early childhood training activities;
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(5) other activities that promote school readiness;
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(6) data collection and evaluation;
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(7) staff outreach and outreach activities;
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(8) translation needs; or
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(9) administrative costs that equal up to five percent of the recipient's grant award.
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Grants awarded by the commissioner
under this subdivision must be used to fund existing or new partnerships between community
health boards, local or regional library systems, community-based organizations, nonprofit
organizations, or Indian tribes to implement early literacy programs in low-income
communities, including tribal communities, to:
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(1) purchase and equip early childhood reading mobiles and math mobiles that provide
FFN caregivers and children's families with books, training, and early literacy activities;
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(2) provide FFN caregivers and children's families with translations of early childhood
books, training, and early literacy activities in native languages; or
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(3) provide FFN caregivers and children's families with early literacy activities in local
libraries.
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Interested entities eligible to receive a grant under this section
may apply to the commissioner in a form and manner prescribed by the commissioner. The
commissioner shall award grants to eligible entities consistent with the requirements of this
section.
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The commissioner must evaluate the impact of the grants under
subdivisions 2 and 3 on children's school readiness, including but not limited to
social-emotional learning indicators, and submit a written report to the legislative committees
with jurisdiction over health and human services and education finance and policy by
February 1, 2023.
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$1,000,000 in fiscal year 2022 is appropriated from the general fund to the commissioner
of health for purposes of awarding grants under section 1.
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