Child Care Update

Dear Child Care Providers:

Last week, Governor Walz signed into law a $330 million COVID-19 Response Package, which includes $30 million in financial support to organizations licensed to provide child care to children of emergency responders that will be administered by Child Care Aware of Minnesota

Care for Essential Workers Status

Providers should continue to update their information as their status and capacity changes. We have also added a question to document those child care settings able to support distance learning. More than 2,900 providers have responded to the survey thus far with a willingness to serve children of critical workers. We know many of you are already serving these families and want to thank you for the care you provide!

Financial Supports

• Applications for the Peacetime Emergency Childcare Grants for licensed providers serving essential workers are now being accepted. We want thank DHS and Child Care Aware for their heroic efforts to get these grants live within four days after the bill was signed into law. Child care programs currently eligible to apply include licensed family and group family programs, licensed child care centers, and tribally licensed child care programs. Selected applicants will receive an award on a month-to-month basis starting at $4,500, with additional $1,000 available for programs providing non-standard hours care, care for children whose first language is not English, and/or who have special needs. Providers that are licensed to serve 15 or more children will be eligible for an additional amount of up to $15,500 per month. The deadline to apply is April 15, with award decisions by April 20. The goal is for these grants to be available monthly for three months.
• Six Minnesota Initiative Foundations (MIFs) and Think Small launched an Emergency Child Care Grant Program to provide financial support to licensed child care providers in Greater Minnesota and in the metro serving families of essential workers needed to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Child care providers may also be eligible for business loans, including the Federal Small Business Administration COVID 19 Disaster Loans. The recently passed federal Coronavirus Stimulus Package expands the Small Business Administration’s Economic Injury Disaster Loans (allows a $10k grant upfront regardless if you take a loan – apply at SBA.gov/disaster) and the new Paycheck Protection Program (with certain conditions can be forgiven, apply directly through participating lenders). SBA Resource Partners are also available to help with no-cost, one-on-one business counseling regarding COVID-19.

COVID-19 Testing

Minnesota child care providers and educators caring for children of emergency workers who are symptomatic are on the priority list for COVID-19 testing. Health care providers may adjust which populations they test as equipment, collection supplies, and lab capacity change.

Supply Chain

We have heard you on having difficulty locating the supplies needed to serve families and maintain the health and safety of your staff and the families you serve. Cleaning supplies are in high demand and there are shortages in many areas of the state. Here are some updates on our work to support you in obtaining the supplies you need: 

• No Supply Limits for Child Care Providers: Governor Walz’s Executive Order 20-19 instructs that “no supplier or business should limit or restrict reasonable orders of cleaning, hygiene, and sanitation supplies by child care providers who are serving children of parents working in critical sectors.” Please share this language with local stores and suppliers; we are doing the same. Please report violations to sahviolations@state.mn.us.
• Local Emergency Centers: Below is a list of local emergency centers and contacts. These people are prepared to help child care providers find cleaning product and supplies in the community.
• Cub/UNFI Partnership: Child care providers needing help with supplies and food can email daycare@cub.com to be connected with appropriate personnel. CUB has designated 13 stores that will be open 24 hours-a-day to support the communities, providing an added value to childcare providers who often are needing to shop for supplies in off-hours. Other CUB local store teams will work to support specific childcare provider’s needs. Orders can be placed on Monday or Tuesday for pick up on Thursdays and Fridays. We want to thank the Cub/UNFI team for stepping up to help with childcare providers’ needs by leveraging its supply chain network, including Kemps for milk supply.
• Hand sanitizer: The distilling community and companies across the state are uniting and combining resources to get sanitizer into the hands of organizations and businesses on the front lines. Visit allhandsmn.org to place an order. Metro area providers can pick up their orders. We are sharing this opportunity with our Greater Minnesota partners and hope to help ensure providers across the state can access these resources as well.

Thank you

We are grateful to your continued commitment to serve the families of essential workers with commitment, passion, and love for your communities. We also know this takes resources and support.

You continue to be a critical partner—creating a safe place for kids to play and learn and as supporters for the broader emergency workforce.

Please continue to visit mn.gov/childcare for the most up-to-date information.

Thank you for all you do.

Children’s Cabinet Staff
childrenscabinet.MMB@state.mn.us

Contact Us.

Website: www.mn.gov/childrenscabinet
Email: childrenscabinet.MMB@state.mn.us