How States Are Trying to Make Child Care More Affordable June 2025

"I would not have been able to work if the YMCA had not been available to provide afterschool care for my children," recalls Missouri state Rep. Brenda Shields. Before joining...

St. Paul sees ‘unprecedented’ day care closures, sending families scrambling June 2025

After 55 years, Children's Country Day School plans to close at the end of this summer. Last week, Children's Center Montessori ended a 53-year run. And 42-year-old...

Will Rochester Have Enough Child Care? April 2025

A population boom is expected for Minnesota's third-largest city, but providers say there's too little money to keep expanding the local day care industry. Click here for...

Great Start Affordability Scholarship Program Heard Again in Legislature April 2025

The Minnesota House Children and Families Finance and Policy Committee recently heard a bill that aims to reduce the cost of child care for Minnesotans. The bill, HF1383 , would establish...

Enrollment Increases, But Continuing Financial Struggles and Loss of PreK Students April 2025

Enrollment is rising again at Minnesota child care operations but the counts remain below pre-pandemic levels, according to a new statewide survey that also found providers facing challenges with...

More Centers Having Operating Difficulties April 2025

In a survey conducted by the Minneapolis Fed and First Children's Finance in February and March, 86 percent of child care business owners and managers agreed there is a...

Why Is Child Care in MN So Expensive? And Still Underpriced! April 2025

What costs more, a year at the University of Minnesota or one at a daycare? Unsurprising to many Twin Cities families, it's daycare--specifically center-based infant child care....

Expansion of MN Child Care Tax Credit Proposed – Massive for Families with Children 0-5 March 2025

Child care for the youngest children is usually the most expensive. Expanding the dependent care credit would assist with those child care expenses. "We have decided to target...

No One is Getting Rich on Child Care March 2025

In the lobbies and lounges of our state's second-tier country clubs, you'll find people who built generational wealth running assisted living facilities. But you won't find...

Bill Seeks to Make Child Care Cheaper by Paying Staff Less – Not the Way We Need to Go February 2025

A Republican authored House bill would change certain regulations for the childcare industry, a move they argue would lower childcare costs in Minnesota. Hanska Rep. Paul Torkelson says the...

Two legislative reports of interest were just released February 2025

Laws of Minnesota 2023, chapter 70, article 13, section 25 directed the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) to develop a child care and early education professional wage scale and...

A positive story of the effects of 2023 investments in child care February 2025

A New Horizon childcare facility has opened in Crystal and has already welcomed dozens of students for napping, snacking and learning. A Feb. 3 ribbon cutting ceremony was held to...

Child care was already in crisis – and that was before a potential federal funding freeze February 2025

Minnesota child care is in crisis -- and that's even before the threat of a federal freeze in funding. As a director of a child care center, I...

Underserved communities beginning to feel new funding February 2025

As someone who complained a few times in this space about the giant jump in state government spending by the 2023 Legislature, today I'd like to point out an...

Child care options begin to rebound February 2025

Minnesota's child care centers have long struggled with staffing and funding shortages that worsened in the COVID-19 pandemic. Five years later, though, operators see reasons to be optimistic...

Another Follow Up on Licensing & CCAP February 2025

The Minnesota Senate Human Services Committee asked the commissioner of the Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) some tough questions about a 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS story concerning oversight of...

Follow Up CCAP/Licensing Report Engages Many GOP Lawmakers January 2025

On Tuesday night, 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS first reported there are 62 investigations into the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) and those inquiries are being done by the Minnesota...

Misleading Report on CCAP and Licensing Stirs Concern January 2025

The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) confirmed to 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS its Office of Inspector General has 62 active investigations into family child care and child care centers in...

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