1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to economic development; appropriating money for the Minnesota Initiative 
1.3 	Foundations.
1.4 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.5 	Section 1. APPROPRIATION.
 1.6 	$6,000,000 in fiscal year 2024 is appropriated from the general fund to the commissioner 
1.7 	of employment and economic development for a grant to the Minnesota Initiative 
1.8 	Foundations. The Minnesota Initiative Foundations are authorized to subgrant their allocation 
1.9 	to partner organizations who are assisting in their child care work. This is a onetime 
1.10 	appropriation and is available until June 30, 2027. The Minnesota Initiative Foundations 
1.11 	must use grant funds under this section to:
1.12 	(1) facilitate planning processes for rural communities resulting in a community solution 
1.13 	action plan that guides decision making to sustain and increase the supply of quality child 
1.14 	care in the region to support economic development;
1.15 	(2) engage the private sector to invest local resources to support the community solution 
1.16 	action plan and ensure quality child care is a vital component of additional regional economic 
1.17 	development planning processes;
1.18 	(3) provide locally based training and technical assistance to rural child care business 
1.19 	owners individually or through a learning cohort. Access to financial and business 
1.20 	development assistance must prepare child care businesses for quality engagement and 
1.21 	improvement by stabilizing operations, leveraging funding from other sources, and fostering 
2.1 	business acumen that allows child care businesses to plan for and afford the cost of providing 
2.2 	quality child care; and
2.3 	(4) recruit child care programs to participate in Parent Aware, Minnesota's quality and 
2.4 	improvement rating system, and other high quality measurement programs. The Minnesota 
2.5 	Initiative Foundations must work with local partners to provide low-cost training, professional 
2.6 	development opportunities, and continuing education curricula. The Minnesota Initiative 
2.7 	Foundations must fund, through local partners, an enhanced level of coaching to rural child 
2.8 	care providers to obtain a quality rating through Parent Aware or other high quality 
2.9 	measurement programs.