In February, the Northwest Minnesota Foundation was awarded $224,000 through Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development.
This DEED Child Care Economic Development Grant funded NMF’s efforts in adding and maintaining child care slots throughout the Northwest Minnesota region.
Specifically, the grant funding helped four child care centers and eight new child care providers open their doors, add onto their existing programs, or sustain their programming.
NMF issued grants to support the following:
- Park Rapids: A new family child care provider opened with a license to serve 12 children. Additionally, the child care center in Park Rapids was able to add five more staff to provide the following additional child care slots: 4 infant, 3 toddler, and 5 pre-K.
- Kelliher: Grant funding helped keep the child care center open throughout the summer. The center hired one more staff person and retained four staff, adding 7 toddler slots and 10 summer slots.
- The Clubhouse (McIntosh): The center added another classroom and was able to hire two additional full-time early educators, as well as add 29 more child care slots.
- Lil’ Chompers (Greenbush): This grant funding, combined with other fundraising and grants, helped purchase land and cover associated expenses, develop a plan with an architect, and buy supplies for the center that is in development. Once open, this center is expected to have slots for 30 to 40 children.
- 7 family child care providers received forgivable loans to open their doors throughout the region. One provider has a license that requires an assistant, so this actually equates to eight new jobs.
The grant closed at the end of 2022.
