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New state grants totaling $4.6 million will support the important role played by family, friends and neighbors who provide child care for children in diverse communities across Minnesota.
The Family, Friend and Neighbor Grants will go to 20 organizations whose services cover the entire state, including 11 Tribal Nations that share geography with Minnesota.
With supports that vary by organization and prioritize the needs of individual communities, the grantees serve Somali, Latine, Hmong, African American, Oromo, American Indian, immigrant and refugee communities.
Minnesota had 82,700 family, friend and neighbor caregivers in 2019. However, many of these caregivers don’t consider themselves part of the child care workforce or know about the supports available to them.
“Family members, friends and neighbors make up a significant portion of our child care workforce,” said Commissioner Jodi Harpstead. “As we work toward being the best state for children, it’s critical to recognize and support the child care they provide.”
More information is in a department news release.
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