ST. PAUL, MN – Last night the Minnesota House of Representatives passed a supplemental budget by a vote of 70-59.
State Representative Phyllis Kahn (DFL – Minneapolis) says she worked hard in conjunction with Rep. Karen Clark to include an amendment in the bill that will strengthen new American child care centers.
Specifically, the budget amendment directs the Commissioner of the Department of Human Services (DHS) to contract with an agency skilled in cross-cultural competencies and program evaluation to analyze achievement of children, employment opportunities for their parents in the field of child care, and compliance with state goals for the child care assistance program and state licensing laws and rules.
“It’s really important to note that the goal here is to make sure we take cultural differences into account,” said Kahn. “Our new American communities should not be subjected to a one-size-fits-all model. This amendment is a good step in the right direction towards greater cross-cultural understanding.”
The agency contracting with DHS would take a close look at the following areas:
-Cultural assets of the existing new Americans child care center models.
-The educational achievement record of children participating in the existing new Americans child care center models (a MinnPost article from 2011 showed 76 percent of Somali kindergarteners are prepared for school, six percent higher than an average of combined students from all ethnicities).
-The employability, jobs, and job advancement opportunities created for parents employed in the existing new American child care center models, including movement into jobs outside of child care centers attended by their children.
-The professional development of parents as measured through training and coaching approved by the Minnesota Center for Professional Development.
-Employee experience providing independent care to groups of children other than their own.
Upon completion of the evaluation, DHS would report findings to the Early Childhood Education Committee and the Health and Human Services Policy and Finance Committees no later than January 15, 2016.
“I’m pleased we were able to include this provision in our supplemental budget,” added Kahn. “My district is home to the country’s largest population of Somali-Americans. We need to make sure we’re taking steps to improve cultural understanding with respect to child care and many other areas. This amendment is an important step forward towards that goal.”
Rep. Kahn encourages her constituents to contact her with any questions, comments or other feedback. She can be reached by phone at (651) 296-4257, by email at rep.phyllis.kahn@house.mn, or by postal mail at 365 State Office Building, 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Saint Paul, MN 55155.