Child care and early education: News, reports and work groups

• 2025 child care and early education legislative summary 

• Licensing requirements in 2024

This email list will share information about changes to Child Care Assistance Program policies and notify subscribers of issues. To get updates, update your email subscription preferences on the department’s website.

The Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) helps families with low incomes pay for child care so that parents can work or go to school, and children have more opportunities to thrive as learners.

The program recently updated and created documents for child care providers and families. All documents are available on eDocs:.

• Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) Family Guide (DHS-3944) (PDF) is a new document developed for families who are eligible for child care assistance.
• Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) Provider Guide (DHS-5260) (PDF)
• Paying for Child Care and More! (DHS-3551) (PDF)

• CCAP county profiles SFY24: A to L
• CCAP county profiles SFY24: M to Z
• Child care assistance: Fact and figures DHS-4745 (PDF)
• Minnesota Child Care Assistance Program: State Fiscal Year 2024 Family Profile (DHS-6664L) (PDF)
• Minnesota Child Care Assistance Program: State Fiscal Year 2024 Provider Profile (DHS-7819H) (PDF)
• Tribal profiles: SFY24

• Minnesota Early Care and Education Workforce Pay Equity Pilot: Key Lessons and Recommendations (PDF)
• Barely Getting by and Never Getting Ahead: Pay Equity Pilot Summary (DHS-8627-ENG) (PDF)
• Child Care and Early Education Workforce and Training Fast Facts, updated monthly
• Child Care Stabilization Grant Program: Final Summary (DHS-8518B) (PDF)
• Child Care Stabilization Grant Summary: Year One (DHS-8330A) (PDF)
• 2023 Early Care and Education Workforce Study (PDF)
  • Policy brief about licensed family child care
  • Policy brief about professional development needs and interests
• Evaluation of R.E.E.T.A.I.N., Minnesota's Child Care Workforce Retention program (DHS-7809A) (PDF)
• Executive Summary of the Evaluation of R.E.E.T.A.I.N. (DHS-7809C) (PDF)
• Fact Sheets for Evaluation of R.E.E.T.A.I.N., Minnesota's Child Care Workforce Retention program (DHS-7809B) (PDF)
• Fact Sheets to Accompany Training Demand and Supply Report DHS-7758B (PDF)
• Minnesota's Early Childhood Workforce - Making a difference in the early years (PDF)
• Professional Development for Minnesota's Childcare and Early Education Workforce: A State of the Supply of and Demand for Training DHS-7758A (PDF). 
  If you would like access to the Full Technical Report, please contact lynda.rhodes@state.mn.us.  
  
  National Survey of Early Care and Education
• Characteristics of Minnesota Center-based Early Care and Education Providers in 2019 (PDF)
• Characteristics of Minnesota Home-based Early Care and Education Providers in 2019 (PDF)
• Chartbook of Participation in Child Care and Early Education in 2012 and 2019 (Counts and Characteristics) (PDF)
• Parent Work Schedules in Minnesota Households with Young Children in 2019 (PDF)

• Minnesota Cost Modeling Report 2023 (DHS-7180A) (PDF)
• Minnesota Cost Modeling Report 2020 (DHS-7180) (PDF)

Between September 2022 and June 2023, the department designed and implemented an environmental scan of FFN child care in Minnesota. The purpose of the study was to learn about FFN caregivers and families who use FFN care in Minnesota to better support and communicate with caregivers and families. This report summarizes findings and includes recommended policy actions.

• Family, Friend and Neighbor (FFN) care in Minnesota: Environmental scan (PDF) English
• Family, Friend and Neighbor (FFN) care in Minnesota: Environmental scan PDF) Hmong
• Family, Friend and Neighbor (FFN) care in Minnesota: Environmental scan (PDF) Oromo
• Family, Friend and Neighbor (FFN) care in Minnesota: Environmental scan (PDF) Somali
• Family, Friend and Neighbor (FFN) care in Minnesota: Environmental scan (PDF) Spanish

Starting in July 2022, community organizations across the state will receive $2.9 million in order to provide training and support to friends, grandparents, and neighbors who provide child care for the youngest Minnesotans.

• FFN Grantee Location Map
• FFN Grantee Summaries
• FFN Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Reports

• Program Report: Family Friends, and Neighbor Grant Program (DHS-8497D-ENG) (PDF)
• Family, Friend and Neighbor Providers: Supporting Minnesota's Infrastructure of Care (DHS-8257-ENG) (PDF)

• Final Report for the 2024 Child Care Market Price Analysis (DHS-6226H) (PDF)

Reports and fact sheets about Parent Aware.

• Parent Aware Numbers at a Glance
• Parent Aware Quality Rating and Improvement System: Standards and Indicators DHS-6346B (PDF)
• Parents' Perceptions of the Parent Aware Website and Search Tool (DHS-7937) (PDF)
• Perceptions of the Building Quality Relationship-Based Coaching Model (DHS-7942AA) (PDF)
• Programs' Experiences with Building Quality Coaching (DHS-7942-BA) (PDF) (Fact Sheet for DHS-7942-AA.)
• Provider Perceptions of Parent Aware: Minnesota's Quality Rating and Improvement System (DHS-7859) (PDF)

• Child Care Assistance and Cost-Based Rate Setting (DHS-7180B-ENG) (PDF)
• Family Child Care Shared Services Innovation Grants (DHS-8528-ENG) (PDF)
• Family, Friend and Neighbor Grant Program (DHS-8497B-ENG) (PDF)
• Family Supports and Improvement Program (DHS-8277-ENG) (PDF)
• Great Start Compensation Support Payment Program (DHS-8518C-ENG) (PDF)
• Legislative memo: Number of grants awarded to REETAIN recipients and outcomes (DHS-8654-ENG) (PDF)
• Legislative report: Child Care and Early Education Professional Wage Scale and Comparable Competencies (DHS-8664-ENG) (PDF)
• Parent Aware Equity Report (DHS-8237-ENG) (PDF)
• Parent Aware Quality Rating and Improvement System: Evaluation and One-Star Rating (DHS-6346H-ENG) (PDF)

In 2021, the Minnesota legislature passed legislation and allocated federal funding to support regulation modernization projects for both licensed family child care and child care centers. Visit the Child Care Regulation Modernization page to learn more about these ongoing efforts.

The Family Child Care Training and Advisory Committee was established in 2019 to discuss and make recommendations to family child care licensing and Parent Aware program.

• Family Child Care Training and Advisory Committee Annual Report (PDF)
• Family Child Care Training and Advisory Committee Legislative Report (DHS-8514A) (PDF)

In 2023, a new Parent Aware Advisory Committee was launched. Parent Aware is Minnesota’s quality rating and improvement system for child care.

Parent Aware offers tools and resources to help:

• Families find quality child care and early education
• Programs improve their practices
• Children benefit from care and education that will help them thrive in school and life

Learn about the Committee