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Gov. Tim Walz announced the application process for emergency grants for child care providers is open, according to a press release. This funding was proposed by Walz and Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan in partnership with the governor’s children’s cabinet and the Department of Human Services, and was passed by the Legislature as part of its COVID-19 response supplemental budget. It was signed into law March 28.

“Child care providers are providing an essential emergency response to our communities,” Walz said. “These grants will be critical in ensuring that child care continues to be available to first responders, health care workers, and so many other folks responding to the COVID-19 emergency.”

There are approximately 420,000 children under the age of 12 who live in a household of an essential worker within a critical sector. Of these, the state estimates that during this peacetime emergency, about 270,000 children will need care and approximately 120,000 are likely to need and use licensed child care settings, the release stated.

The grants will provide about $10 million per month over the next few months to support basic infrastructure needed to keep child care capacity available.

“Child care providers have stepped up to the challenge and are willing to respond to the needs of their communities,” Flanagan said. “We hope this funding will help ensure that workers can continue to respond to community needs.”

Child Care Aware of Minnesota will administer and distribute the funds for emergency child care services. Grants can be found at www.childcareawaremn.org/providers/emergency-child-care-grants/.

Six Minnesota Initiative foundations last week answered a call from the governor and launched an emergency child care grant program to provide support for Greater Minnesota licensed child care providers serving families of essential workers needed to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the release. Think Small had already launched an effort to issue grants to family child care programs in the metro area.