Two bills proposing ways to spend federal stimulus funds on child care, pre-kindergarten exploratory projects, quality improvements and after-school programs were laid over by the House Early Childhood Finance and Policy Division March 31 for possible omnibus bill inclusion.
Rep. Nora Slawik (DFL-Maplewood) sponsors HF2088, which proposes spending on eight child care funding and quality improvement programs, including increasing child care assistance maximum rates. The bill would increase child care provider maximum reimbursement rates by 2 percent beginning July 1, 2009. It would also appropriate a yet-unspecified amount to a program to help child care providers prepare to apply for the Parent Aware quality rating system.
Slawik said $26 million in federal stimulus funds is available for early learning and child care programs, of which $3.4 million is designated for quality improvements. Parent Aware, now a pilot program in the cities of Minneapolis, St. Paul, Wayzata, and Blue Earth and Nicollet counties, is expected to be the model for a voluntary statewide quality rating program.
Its companion, SF1926, sponsored by Sen. Tarryl Clark (DFL-St. Cloud), awaits action by the Senate Health and Human Services Budget Division.
Sponsored by Rep. David Bly (DFL-Northfield), HF2202 would appropriate $10 million in federal stimulus money in fiscal year 2010 for After-School Community Learning Grants.
Youth Community Connections Executive Director Laura LaCroix-Dalluhn said the grants now fund 26 after-school programs serving about 9,000 students, and that 86 percent have a focus on improving academic achievement through homework help and mentoring. Specific amounts from the federal stimulus act are not yet determined for such programs.
Its companion, SF1997, sponsored by Sen. Kevin Dahle (DFL-Northfield), awaits action by the Senate E-12 Education Budget and Policy Division.
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