SF 3247

Introduction - 94th Legislature (2025 - 2026)

Posted on 07/02/2025 09:43 a.m.

A bill for an act
relating to economic development; appropriating money to the Minnesota Initiative
Foundations for regional child care planning and programming.

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 $1,000,000 in fiscal year 2026 and $1,000,000 in fiscal year 2027 are appropriated from
the general fund and $2,500,000 in fiscal year 2026 and $2,500,000 in fiscal year 2027 are
appropriated from the workforce development fund to the commissioner of employment
and economic development for grants in equal amounts to each of the Minnesota Initiative
Foundations. These appropriations are available until June 30, 2031. The base for this
appropriation is $1,000,000 from the general fund in fiscal year 2028 and each year thereafter.
The Minnesota Initiative Foundations must use grant money 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 quality child care is a vital component of additional regional economic
development planning processes;
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new text begin (3) provide locally based training and technical assistance to rural business owners
individually or through a learning cohort. Access to financial and business development
assistance must 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 providing quality child
care; and
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new text begin (4) recruit child care programs to participate in quality rating and improvement
measurement programs. The Minnesota Initiative Foundations must work with local partners
to provide low-cost training, professional development opportunities, and continuing
education curricula. 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
measurement programs.
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