Early childhood has consistently been a top tier issue at the state legislature and this session was no different. The conversations that gained the most attention, however, were not primarily driven by the priorities of early childhood advocates, but rather by emerging issues and reports that came out during this year’s session.
One key bill that passed the House and Senate [SF3310/HF3403] modifies child care licensing provisions. This bill is targeted at helping to address the childcare shortage which is particularly prominent in rural Minnesota. The bill aims to provide flexibility and reduce some regulations to make it easier to operate a child care center. This bill passed unanimously in the House and Senate and is awaiting the Governor’s signature.
Other top early childhood issues this session:
- A report from the Legislative Auditor on Early Education was released during the legislative session which found mixed results, most notably finding that early childhood programs were ‘complex and fragmented’ in Minnesota. This likely provides an opportunity in-between sessions to engage in more system-wide thinking as a way to simplify data tracking and program eligibility requirements. Resolving some of these challenges and making the system easier to access for parents may be a focus for legislators and early childhood advocates during the 2019 session.
- Child care fraud. Toward the end of session a Fox 9 news report came out that there’s some fraud in the child care system, specifically fraud around state taxpayer daycare subsidies. While there is clear evidence that fraud does exist, the extent of the fraud and where the money is going is likely to be the subject of investigation and debate over the coming months. This is another issue that may be on the legislature’s agenda in 2019.
Education equity is an important part of MCF’s public policy work, with a focus on establishing a statewide system of early childhood education to assure that all young Minnesotans are physically, socially and cognitively prepared for school and lifelong learning. MCF is a member of the Start Early Funders Coalition. Learn more about Start Early here: http://startearlyfundersmn.org/