To the editor:
Last week, my House DFL colleagues and I announced our upcoming plan for 2020 to keep moving Minnesota forward. Our Minnesota Values Plan will largely build on the momentum we’ve gathered from last year — and a key priority will be ensuring our children have the tools they need and deserve in order to get off to a great start in life.
Our state is facing two crises: opportunity gaps and inaccessible and unaffordable child care. This session, we’ll be working to eliminate these gaps and invest in early care and learning. As the chief author of the law to preserve pre-K opportunities for over 4,000 of our youngest learners last year, I understand the value these opportunities provide. Expanding the availability of early learning is a proven method to address our persistent opportunity gap. The earlier, the greater the impact. We must also find ways to tackle the soaring costs of child care. The House majority’s Minnesota Values Plan will work on strategies to expand access to care, help providers and ensure integrity in the child care assistance program.
Making these investments is critical for our state’s future success and is a smart investment, ensuring parents can work, businesses can hire and communities can thrive.
Connie Bernardy
New Brighton
Rep. Connie Bernardy, DFL, represents District 41A in the Minnesota House.