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You are receiving this email because you are a child care center provider or you subscribed to the Child Care Regulation Modernization listserv.
In April, the Department of Human Services (DHS) Licensing Division shared draft revised licensing standards for family child care and child care centers. We understand that these draft revised licensing standards documents have caused concerns in the child care field. We want to clarify that these documents are simply drafts which are intended to solicit input, and that they will be revised after we collect feedback from providers, licensors, and the public during June and July. Please see the “About the draft revised licensing standards” section at the bottom of this email for more details.
To begin our public engagement on these draft licensing standards, DHS will be holding in-person listening sessions for child care providers, licensors, and the public to share feedback on the draft revised licensing standards. These sessions will feature a brief overview of significant changes in the draft revised licensing standards, followed by an opportunity for participants to share their feedback directly with DHS staff. Your feedback is crucial and will inform the next draft, which will be submitted to the Legislature during the 2025 legislative session.
We hope you are able to join, and request that you RSVP if you plan to attend a session. This will help with planning. These are in-person events; there will not be a virtual option for any of the listening sessions.
We look forward to productive discussions on how to improve these draft revised licensing standards.
Regional Listening Sessions
Listening sessions will be held at the dates, times, and locations provided below:
Wednesday, June 5th – Grand Rapids
ISD 318 District Offices
601 SW 7th Street
Grand Rapids, MN 55744
Wednesday, June 5, 2024, from 1 – 3 p.m. RSVP Here.
Monday, June 17th – St. Cloud
Great River Regional Library - Saint Cloud, Mississippi Room 106
1300 West St. Germain Street
St. Cloud, MN 56301
Monday, June 17, 2024, from 1:30 – 3:30 p.m. RSVP Here.
Friday, June 21st – Twin Cities
Ridgedale Library - Minnetonka, Robert H. Rohlf Room
12601 Ridgedale Dr.
Minnetonka, MN 55305
Friday, June 21, 2024, from 1 – 3 p.m. RSVP Here.
Wednesday, July 10th – St. Peter
Saint Peter High School Commons
2121 Broadway
Saint Peter, MN 56082
Wednesday, July 10, 2024, from 1 – 3 p.m. RSVP Here.
About the draft revised licensing standards
In the 2021 legislation establishing the Child Care Regulation Modernization project, DHS was instructed to work with the National Association of Regulatory Administration (NARA) to develop revised licensing standards which are “grounded in national regulatory best practices,” and which “must protect the health and safety of children in child care centers and family child care and be child-centered, family-friendly, and fair to providers.” (See MN Laws 2021, First Special Session, Chapter 7, Article 2, sections 75 and 81.)
Below are the direct links to each draft child care licensing standards document. Additionally, each document can be found on the project website under the “Get Involved” tab and “Upcoming Opportunities” heading.
These draft licensing standards were created in consultation with NARA, Minnesota state agencies, and subject matter experts in child development, health, and safety. These documents are drafts, and your feedback is a crucial step in the process. Feedback gathered on the current drafts will help inform the next draft, which will be submitted to the Legislature during the 2025 legislative session. Ultimately, it will be up to the Minnesota Legislature to specify an effective date for any legislation that they pass.
Contact Us
If you have questions, please email the Child Care Regulation Modernization team at ccregmodernization.DHS@state.mn.us.
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