HF 422

as introduced - 91st Legislature (2019 - 2020) Posted on 03/20/2019 12:48pm

A bill for an act
relating to economic development; appropriating money for sustainable child care
in rural Minnesota.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1. new text begin APPROPRIATION; MINNESOTA INITIATIVE FOUNDATIONS.
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new text begin (a) $3,000,000 in fiscal year 2020 is appropriated from the general fund to the
commissioner of employment and economic development for a grant to the Minnesota
Initiative Foundations. This appropriation is available until expended.
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new text begin (b) The Minnesota Initiative Foundations must use grant funds under this section to:
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new text begin (1) facilitate planning processes for rural communities resulting in a community solution
action plan that guides decision making to sustain and increase the supply of quality child
care in the region to support economic development;
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new text begin (2) engage the private sector to invest local resources to support the community solution
action plan and ensure child care is a vital component of additional regional economic
development planning processes;
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new text begin (3) provide high quality locally based training and technical assistance to rural child
care business owners through a learning cohort. Access to financial and business development
assistance must endeavor to prepare child care businesses for quality engagement and
improvement by stabilizing operations, leveraging funding from other sources, and fostering
business acumen that allows child care businesses to plan for and afford the cost of quality;
and
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new text begin (4) recruit child care programs to participate in Parent Aware, Minnesota's quality and
improvement rating system, by providing targeted resources designed to encourage high
levels of participation. The Minnesota Initiative Foundations must work with local partners
to provide low-cost training, professional development opportunities, and curriculum. The
Minnesota Initiative Foundations must fund, through local partners, an enhanced level of
coaching to rural child care providers to obtain a quality rating through Parent Aware.
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