Engagement for second draft of revised licensing standards

Office of Inspector General - Licensing Division - April 21, 2025

You are receiving this email because you are a child care provider or you subscribed to the Child Care Regulation Modernization listserv.

The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) invites you to participate in virtual DHS workshops or a regional in-person engagement session hosted in partnership with the Minnesota Initiative Foundations.

In February 2025, DHS released the second draft of revised licensing standards for child care centers and family child care programs. DHS is collecting public feedback on this draft through June 30, 2025.

Virtual DHS Workshops

These virtual workshops are open to all interested community members and will focus on ways to further refine and improve the draft language for the third draft of revised licensing standards. Each session will include:

• A brief overview of key changes in the second draft
• Two rounds of topic-specific breakout sessions – 6 breakout session topics will be available
• Large group discussions to share the ideas from each breakout group

Participants will need access to a computer or smart device to fully engage in breakout discussions. Each session will feature virtual breakout rooms and the use of a digital whiteboard to collect participant feedback.

Due to the interactive format and to allow for focused conversation in small groups, each workshop is limited to 100 participants. Please only register for and attend one workshop, to ensure space for all who wish to participate. When you register for a workshop, you will be asked to identify which topics you most want to discuss, and you may also request any accommodations needed to participate. Your responses will inform the breakout session topics chosen.

Child Care Center Workshops

• Thursday, June 5^th from 1 – 3 p.m. | Register here
• Wednesday, June 11^th from 1 – 3 p.m. | Register here
• Tuesday, June 17^th from 1 – 3 p.m. | Register here
• Tuesday, June 24^th from 1 – 3 p.m. | Register here

Family Child Care Workshops

• Tuesday, June 3^rd from 6 – 8 p.m. | Register here
• Thursday, June 5^th from 6 – 8 p.m. | Register here
• Wednesday, June 18^th from 6 – 8 p.m. | Register here
• Tuesday, June 24^th from 6 – 8 p.m. | Register here

Minnesota Initiative Foundation Regional Opportunities

In partnership with the Minnesota Initiative Foundations, DHS invites you to attend regional engagement sessions. 

Below are the dates and communities that engagements will be hosted in. Please contact the person listed if you live in the region and are interested in participating in the regional session to provide input on draft 2 of the licensing standards.

Northwest Minnesota

• For Child Care Centers: Monday, May 5, 2025 from 1 – 3 p.m. - Thief River Falls
• For Family Child Care: Monday, May 5, 2025 from 6 – 8 p.m. - Thief River Falls

Location: Northland Community and Technical College, 1101 State Hwy 1, Thief River Falls, MN 56701

Contact: Katie Gunderson, katieg@nwmf.org, 218-242-1416

West Central Minnesota

For Family Child Care:

• Wednesday, May 7, 2025 from 6 – 8 p.m. – Alexandria Technical & Community College Room 209/211
• Contact: Lynn Barten, ecnetworkalex@wcif.org
• Monday, May 19, 2025 from 6 – 8 p.m. – West Central Initiative office, 1000 Western Avenue, Fergus Falls, MN
• Contact: Marsha Erickson, marsha.erickson@wcif.org

Southwest Minnesota

Please note: these sessions are hosted by Southwest Initiative Foundation (SWIF) and are available only to those who reside, operate or are employed by a child care business or represent an organization that serves the 18-counties and two Native Nations in southwest Minnesota.

• For Child Care Centers:
  • Wednesday, May 14, 2025 from 12 – 2 p.m. – Virtual session
  • Thursday, May 15, 2025 from 6 – 8 p.m. – Olivia
• For Family Child Care:
  • Wednesday, May 21, 2025 from 6 – 8 p.m. – Location TBD
  • Monday, June 2, 2025 from 6 – 8 p.m. – Virtual session

Contact: Briana Mumme, programs@swifoundation.org

Message from the organizer: Registration is required to attend a session. SWIF anticipates that locations will be finalized and registration will be live by Wednesday, April 30. For the latest updates, please follow the SWIF Facebook page or check the event calendar at https://swifoundation.org/events/.

Southern Minnesota

• For Child Care Centers:
  • Thursday, May 29, 2025 from 1 – 3 p.m. – Rochester Community and Technical College CF 206/208, 851 30^th Ave SE, Rochester, MN 55904 (in partnership with Families First)
• For Family Child Care:
  • Wednesday, May 28, 2025 from 6 – 8 p.m. – Trinity Lutheran Church, 609 Lincoln Ave, Owatonna, MN
  • Thursday, May 29, 2025 from 6 – 8 p.m. – Rochester Community and Technical College CF 206/208, 851 30^th Ave SE, Rochester, MN 55904

Contact: Heidi Coulter, HeidiC@smifoundation.org

Central Minnesota

• For Child Care Centers:
  • Monday, June 9, 2025 from 1 – 3 p.m. – Brainerd Central Lakes College
• For Family Child Care:
  • Monday, June 9, 2025 from 6 - 8 p.m. – Brainerd Central Lakes College

Contact: Jessica Glider, jgilder@ifound.org

Northeast Minnesota

• For Child Care Centers:
  • Friday, June 13, 2025 from 1 – 2:30 pm – Cotton
  • Friday, June 13, 2025 from 6 – 7:30 pm – Cotton

Contact: Jan Amys, jan@northlandfdn.org

We will see you soon!

Our DHS Licensing staff and Child Care Regulation Modernization team members look forward to connecting with providers, parents, and other interested community members at these upcoming sessions.

If you have questions about these upcoming opportunities, please contact your local Initiative Foundation (see contacts above) or reach out to ccregmodernization.dhs@state.mn.us.