SF 465

as introduced - 92nd Legislature (2021 - 2022) Posted on 03/26/2021 09:39am

A bill for an act
relating to child care; appropriating funds to the Department of Employment and
Economic Development for grants to communities, the Minnesota Initiatives
Foundations, and WomenVenture to increase the number of quality child care
providers.

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

Section 1. new text begin APPROPRIATIONS; DEPARTMENT OF EMPLOYMENT AND
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CHILD CARE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Grants for child care. new text end

new text begin (a) $10,000,000 in fiscal year 2022 is appropriated
from the general fund to the commissioner of employment and economic development for
grants to local communities to increase the number of quality child care providers. This is
a onetime appropriation. Fifty percent of grant funds must go to communities located outside
of the seven-county metropolitan area as defined under Minnesota Statutes, section 473.121,
subdivision 2.
new text end

new text begin (b) Grant recipients must obtain a 50 percent nonstate match to grant funds through
either cash or in-kind contributions. Grant funds available under this subdivision must be
used to implement projects to reduce the child care shortage in the state, including but not
limited to funding for child care business start-ups or expansion, training, facility
modifications or improvements required for licensing, and assistance with licensing and
other regulatory requirements. In awarding grants, the commissioner must give priority to
communities that have demonstrated a shortage of child care providers.
new text end

new text begin (c) Within one year of receiving grant funds, grant recipients must report to the
commissioner on the outcomes of the grant program, including but not limited to the number
of new providers, the number of additional child care provider jobs created, the number of
additional child care slots, and the amount of cash and in-kind local funds invested.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Minnesota Initiatives Foundations. new text end

new text begin (a) $3,850,000 in fiscal year 2022 is
appropriated from the general fund to the commissioner of employment and economic
development for a grant to the Minnesota Initiative Foundations. This is a onetime
appropriation and available until June 30, 2023.
new text end

new text begin (b) The Minnesota Initiative Foundations must use grant funds under this section to:
new text end

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 number of quality child
care providers in the region to support economic development;
new text end

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;
new text end

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; and
new text end

new text begin (4) recruit child care programs to participate in Parent Aware under Minnesota Statutes,
section 124D.142, 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.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin WomenVenture child care business training. new text end

new text begin $150,000 in fiscal year 2022
is appropriated from the general fund to the commissioner of employment and economic
development for a grant to WomenVenture to operate a business training program for child
care providers and to create materials that could be used, free of charge, for start-up,
expansion, and operation of child care businesses statewide, with the goal of helping new
and existing child care businesses in underserved areas of the state become profitable and
sustainable. The commissioner shall report data on outcomes and recommendations for
replication of this training program throughout Minnesota to the governor and the chairs
and ranking minority members of the house of representatives and senate committees with
jurisdiction over child care by December 15, 2023. This is a onetime appropriation and is
available until June 30, 2023.
new text end