Child Care Update
Dear Child Care Providers:
Thank you for your ongoing commitment to the well-being of our children and their families. The Governor and Lt. Governor continue to be grateful. You play a critical role in our communities persevering through this health emergency. I am writing to provide an update on our ongoing efforts to support you during this unprecedented time.
Resources & Flexibility
In recognition of the financial impact of enrollment changes, health-related closures, and additional operating costs, we are working on the following:
- The Governor plans to present a funding request to the legislature soon for financial supports for those continuing to serve children.
- The Minnesota Department of Education has waived the absent day policy in the Early Learning Scholarship Program and enabled concurrent payment to a provider that needs to temporarily close and a replacement provider selected by the scholarship recipient’s family. See page 16 of this document for additional information.
- Under existing policy, the Child Care Assistance Program can pay for additional absent days when the child or family has a documented medical condition. DHS is exploring how this policy can be operationalized and will provide more information as soon as it becomes available. We are also seeking state legislative authority to expand and modify policies for additional flexibility.
- We are actively engaged with the federal government, state legislature, and private philanthropy to obtain additional financial resources and related accommodations to support you in continuing to provide care during and after this challenging time.
- We understand some of you are struggling to secure cleaning supplies, diapers and other essential items. We are working with public and private partners to respond to this challenge.
Many of you have shared that you are willing to care for the children of emergency and essential workers, with additional resources, flexibilities in licensing requirements, and access to critical supplies. We created this guidance on best practices with our agencies. We are working across state government to prepare resources and create flexibility:
- More than 900 family and center-based child care providers have already informed us that they are currently able to continue providing such care and we are sharing this information with Child Care Aware of Minnesota. Emergency workers with young children ages 0-5 who call 1.888.291.9811 or go to www.parentaware.org will be directed to these providers. You can add yourself to this list or update your status at any time by completing this form. We understand that your ability to remain on this list may be dependent on receiving emergency financial assistance, and as stated are working to obtain potential resources as quickly as possible.
- The Department of Human Services is exploring additional flexibilities that enable you to respond to this crisis and support your community.
Testing
Child care providers who have notified us of their willingness to care for children of emergency workers have been officially added to the state’s priority list for COVID-19 testing. However, as of today’s nationwide lack of testing capacity, the state lab is not able to test all prioritized groups. The only priority groups currently being tested are hospitalized patients, health care workers, and residents of communal living sites. The Governor’s office is working closely with our federal delegation, local universities, health systems, and other laboratories in the state to increase lab testing capacity. Emergency workers and child care providers are a prioritized group for the next level of testing once more capacity is online.
Updates
During the COVID-19 response, we will provide links to the most current information from the state departments of education, human services, and health on mn.gov/childcare. You may also always call the Department of Human Services hotline at 1-888-234-1268.
Your health and the wellbeing of our children and their families remains our top priority. Please continue to encourage those around you to protect their personal health, stay home when sick, maintain social distance when possible, and clean surfaces that are frequently touched.
Thank you for all you do to educate and care for children, support your community, and for your leadership during this unprecedented time.
Thank you,
Erin Bailey
Executive Director of the Governor’s Children’s Cabinet
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