|
|
This newsletter is intended for delegated county FCC licensing workers and supervisors. It includes important updates and a summary of information from the monthly FCC Licensor Call.
|
|
|
September 30, 2026
Allie Schmidt joined our team on a temporary reassignment from the child foster care unit. She started with us on September 9th. Her main responsibilities will be working on modernization implementation, including variances and ELICI updates. She will also support mid-term Rule 13 reviews.
|
|
|
Please submit your county/agency third-quarter reports (July-September 2026) by using the following links for 2026 data:
Please remember: Use the designated 2026 form links for each report—do not submit report information via email.
As we enter the final quarter of the year, please ensure you are on track to complete all unannounced annual reviews for your caseload. Check your ELICI status to confirm there are no unfinished visits that are not posting to Licensing Information Lookup.
- Tip: Aim to complete all visits by early December. This gives you time to wrap up end‑of‑year tasks and plan your schedule for the new year.
- A reminder that all annual visits must be unannounced. One helpful strategy is to send a communication at the start of the year requesting providers to share any program changes. This reduces the likelihood that providers can anticipate which quarter you may visit.
As we enter the final quarter of 2026, please remember that continuous licenses expire on December 31 and will be automatically renewed for 2027 unless DCYF receives a 3324 close notification indicating that a program is closing.
- If there is a license that should not be renewed as part of the bulk renewal, the deadline to notify DCYF is December 11, 2026.
- Counties that do not collect fees can disregard this guidance, as all licenses will be automatically renewed.
- Reminder that if your county does charge a yearly fee, it cannot exceed $50.
October 2, 2026
- If the county charges a licensing fee, send invoices to all programs with due date of October 31. This includes programs in “Pending Reopening”.
November 1, 2026
- County to send past due notice to all programs that have not paid.
December 1, 2026
- County to send final notice to all programs that have not paid. The final notice should inform the license holder that the program license will expire on December 31 unless the license fee is paid before December 31
December 7, 2026
- Recommendation: Counties should follow up with programs that have not paid the 2027 invoice.
December 11, 2026
- Final deadline to email FCC Triage informing us of any licenses that SHOULD NOT be renewed as part of the automatic update.
December 14, 2026
- DCYF will complete the automatic renewal process for those programs who have paid: Certificates will be printed and mailed
January 1-20, 2027
- DCYF will reach out to counties to follow up on licenses that were not renewed
January 21, 2027
- At 3 p.m. Programs that fail to pay licensure fee will be closed in ELMS with an effective date of December 31, 2026.
Important Consideration: This will close the program in NETStudy 2.0, deactivate all NETStudy 2.0 user accounts for that program, and remove staff from the active roster.
Below is an example of how to provide an explanation when submitting a withdrawal request. Please remember that in some situations, issuing a denial may be more appropriate than processing a withdrawal. If you’re unsure which option to choose, reach out to Triage for guidance.
Users must log-in to Develop at least every 30 days or an email will be sent from Develop. It is advised to log-in right then, when reminded. If it gets to 60 days, the account access will be deactivated.
If your account is deactivated, please contact lisa.mills@state.mn.us for help with reactivation. If there are general issues with your Develop account (password reset, how to access, etc.), contact the Develop help desk at support@develophelp.zendesk.com.
|
|
|
We have updated the 2025 Legislative Implementation Plan, and the amended version is now available on our website.
DCYF continues preparing for the revised licensing standards that take effect July 1, 2027. Many staff are actively working to develop the Implementation Guide, creating trainings for county licensing staff and license holders, and reviewing forms and resources to determine what must be updated or newly created.
DCYF has launched a new webpage for the revised child care licensing standards, which will be regularly updated with implementation guidance, explanatory materials, and future training opportunities. For now, the best ways to begin preparing are to review the “What’s changing” section and subscribe to our monthly newsletter.
Questions or comments about the revised standards may be submitted to
ccregmodernization.DCYF@state.mn.us. Submissions will be reviewed, but individual responses will not be provided.
Again, as a reminder, current child care licensing requirements remain in effect until July 1, 2027. DCYF will continue sharing monthly updates through its list-serv, including highlights of new or revised regulations. We encourage everyone to ensure they are subscribed.
Guidance on outdoor play equipment was provided in the June 2026 edition of the revised child care licensing standards newsletter. If providers continue to have questions about their particular outdoor equipment or play space, please send those questions to Triage, with detailed pictures.
- Generally, if they have name brand/manufactured equipment and are using it per the manufacturer’s recommendations, they likely will not have an issue with the new standards.
- Homemade equipment may require a situation-by-situation approval.
- In establishing the revised standards language, we relied on information on play structure safety from the Consumer Product Administration.
With variance requests returning to DCYF for approval/denial, we are working on developing guidance and a process for requests.
Important to note:
- If, based on your licensing experience with variances, you have ideas or thoughts on things we need to consider, please contact us to share your thoughts as we develop continued guidance. We value your input.
- Providers should not assume they will get approval as they may have in the past.
- They may need to give themselves time for the process to take place and not put themselves in the position of needing one.
- For license holders who seem to rely on variances now, it might not be a bad idea to remind them of the upcoming changes so they can prepare.
- It is also good to note that many of the typical reasons variances were frequently requested in the past have been revised, with the new standards, to accommodate and lessen the need for requests.
We are preparing to roll out licensor training, and we want to ensure you have the information you need to plan ahead.
During the week of November 16, we will offer two cohorts of licensor training, morning or afternoon 2-hour sessions. Supervisors are welcome to attend and follow‑up sessions will be arranged for anyone unable to participate during that week.
After completing the live training, you will receive access to the self‑paced training modules, followed by opportunities to join Q&A sessions for additional support. Please block off the week of November 16 on your calendars now.
Training for providers will follow a similar format and will include in‑person options. Providers can be told that training is coming, but please do not share dates yet, as formal communication is still in development.
Additionally, the Interpretive Guidance Workgroup is moving forward. Katherine DiBenedetto recently distributed surveys, if you received one, please complete it as soon as possible so this important work can continue.
|
|
|
We’re pleased to announce another offer of our Rule 13 Process Training, designed to support consistency, clarity, and confidence in licensing procedures. This repeated session will be held on Monday, October 19, 2026, from 1–3 p.m. Staff who have not yet attended, or those who would benefit from a refresher, are strongly encouraged to participate.
Registration is available in TrainLink.
Licensors are invited to join our upcoming Supervision Roundtable on Thursday, November 5th, from 1:00–3:30 p.m. This session will walk through a brief summary of the curriculum that license holders complete on supervision, giving licensors a clear view of what’s included in the training and how it’s presented in the field.
This is also a chance to connect with colleagues and engage in discussion. We encourage licensors to bring questions, observations, and stories from the field related to supervision. Your experiences help deepen understanding and strengthen our collective practice.
We look forward to seeing you there and having a rich conversation together!
Think of these sessions as live triage, hosted by the Family Child Care Licensing team. The purpose of these sessions is to answer questions, listen to comments, and problem-solve together regarding the unique situations that we encounter. These office hours are open-house style, meaning attendees can come and go as needed. DCYF will not be preparing content for each session so please come with questions and comments regarding FCC licensing. If you have not received an invite to join, please reach out to DCYF FCC Triage.
-
Tuesday, October 6 | 9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. – see one time-time change!
-
Tuesday, November 3 | 10:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m.
DCYF FCC Licensing will provide information and updates during this call and be available for questions. If you have not received an invite to join, please reach out to DCYF FCC Triage.
-
Thursday, October 15 | 1:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m.
- November call cancelled due to revised standards training for licensors
The ELICI tool’s purpose is to ensure consistent compliance monitoring throughout the state. DCYF has planned monthly workshops to support counties with their ongoing compliance with the requirement to use the ELICI tool to do licensing work in Minnesota. We value our partnership with counties and encourage feedback and suggestions to inform these workshop sessions. Here is the link to the ELICI manual: https://mn.gov/dhs/assets/ELICI-user-guide_tcm1053-376631.pdf
-
Monday, October 26 | 2:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m.
-
Monday, November 23 | 2:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m.
For calls, office hours and ELICI workshops, you should receive an invite with a link to join. If you are not getting these invites, please contact Triage.
Join the cross-agency Early Childhood Connector Call on October 13, 2026, from 7-8 p.m. for the next Connector Call! Connector Calls are a great opportunity to get your questions answered and seek clarification. During the call, state staff will answer questions related to legislation, licensing, programs, grants and more. Early educators of all types, from licensed programs to Family, Friend and Neighbor caregivers, are invited.
Link to join the call: https://minnesota.webex.com/minnesota/j.php?MTID=m4ccaa25f97bd6d3e3029c737d58ef6cc
Questions must be submitted beforehand; new questions will not be answered during the call. Qualtrics Survey | Qualtrics Experience Management
Calls are recorded and temporarily available to those unable to attend. Visit the Early Childhood Connector website to learn more about Connector Calls and the Early Childhood Connector Newsletter.
The most recent edition of the DCYF FCC Provider Link was sent out to Minnesota’s Family Child Care Provider community on September 30, 2026. A link to archived editions are available for licensors at the FCC Licensor Library. The archived page is also available for the public from the DCYF Family Child Care Licensing webpage.
|
|
|
|
|
