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Hello from St. Paul,
As in-home daycare and childcare centers continue to close across rural Minnesota, I understand that something needs to be done in order to address this shortage.
Sometimes the biggest barrier for an adult to re-enter the workforce is securing reliable and affordable daycare for their children. By modifying some of the state’s licensing standards, we would allow providers to focus more on the kids they serve rather than paperwork and red tape being thrown at them by state government.
A number of ideas in my proposal were presented to me by constituent Maria Harms, who owns and operates Snug as a Bug Child Care in Redwood Falls.
 The proposal was recently debated by the Minnesota House Children and Families Finance and Policy Committee, where Harms spoke in favor of my bill.
The bill would change some of Minnesota's childcare regulations, focusing on licensing standards, staff qualifications, staff-to-child ratios, and group sizes. Qualifications needed to work or volunteer in a licensed childcare center are also addressed, as are training requirements.
Our goal is to improve access to childcare while reducing the regulations that drive many providers out of the industry.
The House children and families committee held my bill over for possible inclusion in a more comprehensive committee proposal that will be unveiled later this session.
Have a good weekend,
Paul
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