MINNETONKA, Minn. — The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) announced $6.2 million in grant money to help make childcare more affordable and accessible for Minnesota families.
A total of 21 childcare facilities will receive the funding, including the Saint David’s Center for Child & Family Development in Minnesota.
The Saint David’s Center will use its $270,000 grant to open a new childcare facility in Saint Cloud.
“We will be adding 126 childcare slots at this facility. With some of those slots being part-time we are going to be able to handle more than 200 kids,” CEO Julie Sjordal says.
She says a local business is donating the space for their new center and the grant money will help them buy furniture, equipment and hire staff.
"It's public and private partnership that is going to solve this problem,” Sjordal says.
Governor Walz says the childcare problem will require creative ideas in the coming years, such as businesses sponsoring scholarships for local kids, government subsidies for low income families, and more grant money so centers can take on more kids.
"We're doing as well as any place in the country and we're treading water, just to be clear. It's that we are staying with our heads barely above water, other places it is collapsing,” Walz says.
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