Child Care

Plus: Bemidji School Board approves $1M+ in cuts; and the state's Department of Human Services is hosting in-person and virtual workshops on its second draft of proposed child care licensing standards.

The state Department of Human Services is accepting public feedback on its second draft to modernize child care licensing standards through June 30, 2025.

Across Minnesota, day care providers and families are raising alarms about challenges to the child care industry, with a statewide "Day Without Childcare" on March 3, 2025.

Among recipients is Greater Bemidji, which will receive $575,000. The funding will support three different child care initiatives for Bemidji and the Red Lake Nation.

Boys and Girls Club officials say inadequate staffing is the main reason for the continued merged club site.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar visited KOOTASCA’s early childhood hub and discussed challenges, facility benefits and the need for regulatory reforms to support similar models.

The grant money aims to create thousands of new child care slots and support middle-class families in Minnesota.

Five child care providers shut down Monday to advocate at the Minnesota Legislature for more respect and funding for the industry.

Rob and Krista Sjostrand plan to open Roots and Wings Early Learning Center by late summer 2025, offering more than 100 slots for child care in a region facing a shortage.

The Great Start Affordability Act would pay scholarships directly to early childhood education and child care providers for Minnesota families making less than $175,000.