Two MN Legislators, Also Parents of Young Children, Take on Child Care Costs December 2023

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Sen. Smith Floor Speech Calling for Additional Federal Child Care Dollars December 2023

Please take a few moments to view Tina's Senate Floor speech; "Childcare is a necessity for our working families.".

Child Care Affordability on Legislative Leader Minds December 2023

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Seeking Compromise on Child Care Affordability December 2023

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DFL Eyes Big Boost for Middle Class Families November 2023

Two DFL legislators on Thursday proposed expanding state child care and early education subsidies so that families would pay no more than 7 percent of their income for child care....

DFL Lawmakers to Introduce Bridge for Families' Child Care Expenses November 2023

A contingent of DFL lawmakers plan to introduce legislation next year capping child care costs at 7% of household income for all families making less than 150% the state median...

Child Care Affordability for Rochester and Beyond November 2023

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MN Plan to Decrease Child Care Costs November 2023

State lawmakers are calling the cost of child care unsustainable. During a House Children and Families Finance and Policy Committee meeting earlier this month, testifiers explained providers face high costs...

"Band Aid on a Gaping Wound" November 2023

As many child care centers across the country face possible closure after American Rescue Plan funding expired this fall, Minnesota stood out in this sector as state-allocated funds...

Child Care Affordability Proposal at Legislature November 2023

Advocates for affordable child care have launched a new tool to help parents figure out what they would be paying for child care if Minnesota tackled runaway costs....

2023 Child Care Investments Begin to Come Online November 2023

In Minnesota, parents paid childcare costs among the most expensive in the country while daycare workers struggled to make a living wage. Click HERE for more information....

New Licensing Hub November 2023

A new, user-friendly web platform is making it easier for child care providers to complete licensing forms online, as Minnesota continues to implement improvements that support the child care...

Affordable Child Care Hard to Find in MN, Will New Investments Help? November 2023

The cost of child care takes a huge chunk out of parents' paychecks. But at the same time, many child care workers make barely enough to support themselves. And...

Lawmakers Hold Informational Hearing on Child Care Costs October 2023

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Sen. Kupec of Moorhead Discusses Increased Child Care Assistance Rates October 2023

MOORHEAD (KFGO/PRAIRIE PUBLIC) A Moorhead lawmaker says as much of the nation prepares to go over what's being called a "daycare cliff," Minnesota is well poised to meet...

MCCA Member Discusses Ongoing Funding in MN, Different Story in WI September 2023

(FOX 9) - With a massive childcare funding program set to expire in the coming days, early learning centers across the United States are warning of rising prices and...

MN Steps Up to Support Compensation as Federal COVID Funds End – Great Step, More to Do September 2023

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Abdi Daisane watched enrollment at his St. Cloud day care center plummet. By the end of 2020, most children at Blooming Kids Child Care...

Kids Count on Us Listening Tour – Bemidji September 2023

BEMIDJI -- As part of the Rural Minnesota Child Care Tour headed by statewide organization Kids Count On Us, child care providers, teachers and parents gathered at Pine...

A Vote, A Veto, An Override: St. Paul Child Care Support WILL be on the 2024 Ballot September 2023

St. Paul residents will be able to approve tax increases to fund childcare services at the ballot box in 2024, as the city council voted on Aug. 16 to override...

MCCA Board Member Clare Sanford on Continued Compensation Support September 2023

MINNESOTA, USA -- On Sept. 30, a federal program that helped childcare centers stay open during the pandemic will end and some experts say the loss of federal funding could force...

Experts warn of federal child care funding "cliff" that could have dire consequences when pandemic support expires September 2023

MINNEAPOLIS Experts warn the country could be on the brink of a child care funding "cliff" next month when COVID-era relief money expires. The American Rescue Plan, a...

MCCA Board Member Joe Piket on New Early Learning Scholarship and Compensation Funds September 2023

At Primrose School of Champlin Park, 3-year-olds are being introduced to Spanish, and at Four Directions Family Center on E. Lake Street in Minneapolis, they are immersed in...

MCCA President Chad Dunkley on Upcoming End of Federal COVID Funds August 2023

MINNEAPOLIS Experts warn the country could be on the brink of a child care funding "cliff" next month when COVID-era relief money expires. The American Rescue Plan, a...

Lt. Gov Flanagan Visits Winona to Tout Child Care Advances July 2023

WINONA, Minn. (WKBT) -- Lieutenant Governor Flanagan visited Winona to celebrate expanding childcare access throughout Minnesota. Flanagan met with White House officials earlier this week discussing childcare issues...

Babies & Toddlers Get a Boost from 2023 Legislative Session June 2023

It's being called the New Minnesota Miracle. Our children are smiling, even the babies with their lopsided grins. The Legislature and governor have taken steps to make our state...

Early Ed Champions Thrilled, Not Satisfied June 2023

"What are you most proud of accomplishing this session?" Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman's answer to that question posed by Minnesota Reformer reporter Michelle Griffith caught my...

Minnesota U.S. Senator Tina Smith leads bill for child care in rural communities June 2023

WASHINGTON, D.C. Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) joined Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Roger Marshall (R-KS), and Mike Braun (R-IN) to introduce bipartisan...

Decades-old educator resource Developmentally Appropriate Practice (from the National Association for the Education of Young Children) under fire April 2023

Decades-old educator resource Developmentally Appropriate Practice (from the National Association for the Education of Young Children) under fire; learn more and add your name to a letter of support....

MCCA Board Members in the News: Licensing Reform April 2023

Every morning, Mary Solheim looks forward to seeing the children at Playschool Child Care in Maplewood, where she works as the director. But in recent years, the joy of the...

Minnesota lawmakers consider creating new Department of Children, Youth and Families April 2023

Minnesota state lawmakers are making progress on a bill that would create a new state Department of Children, Youth and Families. The idea was introduced by Governor Tim Walz during...

ECEC Calls for Sensible Gun Laws Following Nashville School Shooting April 2023

We are deeply saddened about the children and staff whose innocent lives were taken in Monday's school shooting in Nashville. We mourn alongside their families, their community, and our...

St. Paul could ask voters to fund early learning grants with property tax levy March 2023

A group of St. Paul elected officials, educators and business owners is reviving its push for a special property tax levy to cover the costs of child care and early-learning...

MCCA President Chad Dunkley on Great Start Act March 2023

For the first time in several years, child care providers are holding out hope state lawmakers understand the importance of early childhood education. Earlier this year, Governor Tim Walz proposed...

Gov. Walz Wants to End Child Poverty March 2023

Gov. Tim Walz has made a simple -- but ambitious -- pledge in his second term: to put an end to children living in poverty in the state of Minnesota. The DFL...

Now Is the Time to Fix Child Care March 2023

As someone who served in the Minnesota House and now works for Ramsey County, I have seen firsthand the impact that our state's lack of investment in early care...

Rural MN With Few Child Care Options March 2023

There's great excitement as Alissa Kretsch hides purple hearts around the playroom in her home day care. Kretsch has been a child care provider in New Ulm for...

MCCA Member YWCA of Minneapolis Hosts Gov. Walz & Lt. Gov. Flanagan February 2023

Gov. Walz and Lt. Gov. Flanagan visited the YWCA of Minneapolis' Ecolab child care center in downtown St. Paul on February 21, 2024. They met with children, observed...

2 MCCA board members featured in MinnPost February 2023

Gov. Tim Walz has proposed billions to expand a child care tax credit, increase subsidy rates for low-income families and provide monthly payments for child care teachers. How much...

MCCA Supporting Additional Child Care Facility Investment for Greater MN February 2023

The workforce shortage exists everywhere in the state, but it is especially acute in Greater Minnesota. One way to reduce that shortage is to have affordable child care available...

National Child Care Coverage Featuring MCCA February 2023

State leaders are redoubling their efforts to prop up struggling daycares and help families pay for child care. Governors and lawmakers in both red and blue states this year have...

MN House Passes Two Important Child Care Bills February 2023

ST PAUL, Minn. -- The Minnesota House Monday passed two bills designed to bolster childcare providers, including one that would increase payments to in the Child Care Assistance Program for...

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