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Family Child Care Task Force
The 2019 Legislature established and directed the Family Child Care Task Force to discuss and make recommendations related to family child care licensing and the Parent Aware program. Task force members included family child care providers, parents, legislators, DHS, and appointees from various child care-related organizations.
The task force shall submit an interim report to the Legislature by Mar. 1, 2020, and a final report by Feb. 1, 2021. The reports shall explain the task force’s findings and recommendations related to each of their duties. Any draft legislation needed to implement the recommendations shall also be included.
Duties
The task force’s duties are described in Minnesota Laws 2019, 1st Special Session, Chapter 9, Art. 2, Sec. 132 (pages 164-167), which established the task force. Those duties include the following:
- Identify difficulties that providers face regarding licensing and inspection, including specific licensing requirements that have led to the closure of family child care programs, by reviewing previous survey results and conducting follow-up surveys, if necessary
- Propose regulatory reforms to improve licensing efficiency, including discussion of criteria that would qualify a provider for an abbreviated licensing review based on statistically significant key indicators that predict full compliance with all applicable rules and statutes, and discussion of the development of a risk-based, data-driven, tiered violation system with corresponding enforcement mechanisms that are appropriate to the risk presented by a violation
- Review existing variance authority delegated to counties and recommend changes, if needed
- Recommend business development and technical assistance resources to promote provider recruitment and retention, including the potential need for mentors, a family child care provider network, or shared services
- Develop recommendations for alternative child care delivery systems that could be more financially viable in smaller communities with unmet child care capacity needs in greater Minnesota, which could include new licensure models for large group family child care or small capacity child care centers
- Review Parent Aware program participation and identify obstacles and suggested improvements
- Review how trainings for licensed family child care providers are offered, provided, coordinated, and approved, and make a recommendation on the establishment of a family child care continuing education training committee, to advise on compliance with federal and state training requirements
- Consider methods to improve access to and understanding of the rules and statutes governing family child care providers
Roles and Responsibilities
- The task force is co-chaired by the DFL member from the House of Representatives and the Republican member from the Senate.
- The co-chairs shall alternate acting as chair between meetings.
- A neutral third-party facilitator will moderate each meeting.
- The co-chairs, Commissioner of Human Services or designee, and the facilitator will determine the agenda for each meeting.
- Meetings are open to the public under the Minnesota Open Meeting Law.
2021
Audio recordings and transcripts are available for all Family Child Care Task Force meetings.
Thursday, January 28
6:00 – 9:00 p.m. – Virtual meeting
Tuesday, January 12
6:00 – 9:00 p.m. – Virtual meeting
2020
Audio recordings and transcripts for all Family Child Care Task Force meetings
Tuesday, December 8
6:00 – 9:00 p.m. – Virtual meetingTuesday, November 17
6:00 – 9:00 p.m. – Virtual meeting- November 17, 2020 agenda
- Task force meeting #12 minutes
- Draft - Family Child Care Task force report, Nov. 17, 2020
Tuesday, October 27
6:00 – 9:00 p.m. – Virtual meeting- October 27, 2020 agenda
Task force meeting #11 minutes - Duty 2 work group recommendations
- Duty 6 work group presentation
- Duty 2 work group presentation
Duty 6 work group recommendations - Duty 6 work group presentation
Tuesday, October 20
6:00 – 9:00 p.m. – Virtual meeting- October 20, 2020 agenda
- Task force meeting #10 minutes
- FCCTF- Updated reimbursement policy
- Duty 4 work group recommendations
- Duty 4 work group presentation
- Duty 7 work group recommendations
- Duty 7 work group presentation
- Duty 5 work group recommendations
- Duty 5 work group presentation
- Duty 5 work group- existing MN and other state examples of child care models
Tuesday, September 22
6:00 – 9:00 p.m. – Virtual meeting- September 22, 2020 agenda (PDF)
- Task force meeting #9 minutes (PDF)
- Duty 4 work group presentation(PDF)
- Duty 4 work group recommendations (PDF)
- Duty 8 work group presentation (PDF)
- Duty 8 work group recommendations (PDF)
- Meetings and work groups timeline updated (PDF)
Tuesday, August 18
- Task force meeting #8 minutes
- Alternate child care delivery systems presentation, Duty 5
- Parent Aware presentation, Duty 6
- August 18, 2020 agenda
- Report-Provider Perceptions of Parent Aware, Minnesota’s Quality Rating and Improvement System
- Duty 8 Work Group presentation
- Task Force and Work Group timeline
Tuesday, July 21
6:00 – 9:00 p.m. – Virtual meetingFamily Child Care Training Presentation
- Task Force Duties List
Task Force Work Group Expectations - How Child Care Training is Offered, Provided, Coordinated, and ApprovedJuly 21, 2020 agenda (PDF)
- Task force meeting #7 minutes
Tuesday, June 23
6:00 – 9:00 p.m. – Virtual meetingTask Force Duties:
#1: Identify difficulties that providers face regarding licensing and inspection, including specific licensing requirements that have led to the closure of family child care programs, by reviewing previous survey results and conducting follow-up surveys, if necessary- June 23, 2020 meeting transcript (DOC)
- June 23, 2020 agenda (PDF)
- June 23, 2020 Small Group Questions (PDF)
- FCCTF duties status (PDF)
- Former Child Care provider survey presentation
- Former family child care providers survey questions
- Former family child care provider survey expanded report
- Open meeting law overview memorandum - Prepared by the Minnesota House Research Department
- The Minnesota Open Meeting Law is codified in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 13D.
- Minnesota House Research Information Brief: https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/hrd/pubs/openmtg.pdf
- Discussion on how open meeting law is appliedhttps://www.lmc.org/wp-content/uploads/documents/Meetings-of-City-Councils.pdf
- Data practices guidance from the Minnesota Department of Administration: https://mn.gov/admin/data-practices/meetings/
Tuesday, February 4
6:00 - 9:00 p.m. - Brooklyn Center Community Center – Council chambers, 6301 Single Creek Parkway, Brooklyn Center, MN 55430
Task Force Duties:
Work on Interim ReportTuesday, January 14
6:00 - 9:00 p.m. - Bloomington City Plaza, 1800 West Old Shakopee Road, Bloomington MN 55431 (Council Chambers)Task Force Duties:
Continuation of #1 (surveys) and #5 (alternative licensing models) and work on Interim Report
2019
Monday, Dec. 16, 2019
6:00 - 9:00 p.m. - Ridgedale Library, 12601 Ridgedale Dr., Minnetonka, MN 55305 (Robert H. Rohlf Room)
Task Force Duties:
#5: Develop recommendations for alternative child care delivery systems that could be more financially viable in smaller communities with unmet child care capacity needs in greater Minnesota, which could include new licensure models for large group family child care or small capacity child care centers.
- Dec. 16, 2019 agenda (PDF)
- Survey Proposal for Task Force Consideration
- Draft Email from Task Force for Survey
- Draft Survey for Former Family Child Care Providers
- Suggested Changes to the Draft Survey, Submitted by Senator Kiffmeyer
- Task Force Meeting #3 Minutes
Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2019
6:00 - 9:00 p.m. - Creekside Community Center, 9801 Penn Ave S., Bloomington MN 55431 (Room 105)
Conference line - Dial: 1-408-650-3123 - Access code: 315-592-197 - Audio Pin #
Weblink to access remote presentation from Dr. Richard Fiene: https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/315592197
Task Force Duties:
#2: Propose regulatory reforms to improve licensing efficiency, including discussion of criteria that would qualify a provider for an abbreviated licensing review based on statistically significant key indicators that predict full compliance with all applicable rules and statutes, and discussion of the development of a risk-based, data-driven, tiered violation system with corresponding enforcement mechanisms that are appropriate to the risk presented by a violation
- Nov. 12, 2019 agenda (PDF)
- Potential Administrative / Legislative Actions for Variances
- Dr. Fiene’s Suggested Criteria for Abbreviated Inspections
- House Research Analysis of Liability for Variances
- Senate Counsel Analysis of Liability for Variances
- Task Force Meeting #2 Minutes
Saturday, Oct. 12, 2019
9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. - Broadway Place West, 1300 Godward St. NE, Minneapolis, MN 55413
Conference line - Dial: 1-408-650-3123 - Access code: 315-592-197 - Audio Pin #
Task Force Duties:
#1: Identify difficulties that providers face regarding licensing and inspection, including specific licensing requirements that have led to the closure of family child care programs, by reviewing previous survey results and conducting follow-up surveys, if necessary and
#3: Review existing variance authority delegated to counties and recommend changes, if needed
- Oct. 12, 2019 agenda (PDF)
- Presentation on Licensing and Surveys
- Presentation on Variances
- Status of previous task force recommendations
- Task Force Meeting #1 Minutes
- Appendix A
Thursday, Sept. 19, 2019
6:00 - 9:00 p.m. - Four Points at Mall of America Minneapolis Airport Conference Center, 7745 Lyndale Ave. So.
Conference line - Dial: 1-408-650-3123 - Access code: 315-592-197 - Audio Pin #
The Family Child Care Task Force includes the following members:
- Samantha Chukuske, Family child care provider appointed by the Speaker of the House, Welcome
- Hollee Saville, Family child care provider appointed by the Senate Majority Leader, St. Michael
- Mary Jane Albert, Family child care provider appointed by the Speaker of the House, St. Paul
- Elizabeth Harris, Family child care provider appointed by the Senate Majority Leader, Cottage Grove
- Julie Seydel, Minnesota Association of Child Care Professionals representative
- Cyndi Cunningham, Minnesota Child Care Provider Information Network representative
- Representative Ami Wazlawik, co-chair
- Representative Lisa Demuth
- Senator Mary Kiffmeyer, co-chair
- Senator Melissa Wiklund
- DHS Commissioner or designee
- Ariane Bromberg, Family Child Care Inc. representative, Rochester
- Kelly Martini, Stearns-Benton Child Care Association representative, Avon
- Lanay Miller, Association of Minnesota Family Child Care Licensors, Chisago County
- Kim Leipold, Association of Minnesota Family Child Care Licensors, Dakota County
- Erin Echternach, Parent representative, Bemidji
- Erin Johnson-Balstad, Parent representative, Argyle
- JoAnn Smith, Parent representative, International Falls
- Marit Woods, Parent representative, St. Paul
- Dan Dorman, Greater Minnesota Partnership representative
- Lauryn Schothorst, Minnesota Chamber of Commerce representative
- Ann McCully, Child Care Aware of Minnesota representative
- Scott Marquardt, Southwest Initiative Foundation representative
- Stephanie Hogenson, Minnesota Children’s Cabinet representative
- Heidi Hagel Braid, First Children’s Finance representative
- Summary of 2019 legislation that impacts family child care
- Status of Child Care in Minnesota, 2019
- Status of Child Care in Minnesota, 2018
- Status of Child Care in Minnesota, 2017
- Legislative Task Force on Access to Affordable Child Care, 2017
- Background on abbreviated inspections and tiered violations
- MACSSA position statement
- Ratio Group Size for Small Family
- Ratio Group Size for Large Family and Centers