The proposal is to use public funds as a bridge between what parents are expected to pay (the result you see at the calculator) and what providers need to operate quality programs and earn a living. In practice this would work in ways similar to the state’s existing Early Learning Scholarship program.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Like Early Learning Scholarships, families would choose among a wide array of quality programs in their area (Licensed Family 蜜兔直播 Care, 蜜兔直播 Care Centers, Head Start, Public School), and the public share of funding for a particular child would follow them to their chosen program.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Unlike the current Scholarship model, however, the vision is that providers would be paid in advance of a child’s attendance instead of after the fact. This is another change that the federal government is considering for child care assistance programs around the country. It\u2019s something that other states, like our neighbor North Dakota, are already doing. The state of Minnesota also experimented with this approach in the summer of 2021 with a “summer preschool program” where money went to all types of providers and was paid in advance of services being provided.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Where Does 7% Come From?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n

You may be familiar with the guidance that families should not spend more than 30% of their income on housing.\u00a0This is a similar concept.\u00a0Officials in the federal government analyzed family budgets and necessary expenses and determined that child care is \u201caffordable\u201d when it takes up no more than 7% of a family\u2019s budget.\u00a0That 7% affordability standard has been promoted under the Trump and Biden administrations. Right now, the federal government is revising the rules for the grants that fund state child care assistance programs and is widely expected to adopt that 7% standard for maximum co-payments.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>For the most part, these are recommendations and proposals. There\u2019s still time to shape the policies and details as we learn more. The calculator and larger discussion about child care affordability is a way to work toward an early care and learning system that works well for children, providers, and parents.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>By Ericca Maas<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There is broad agreement that Minnesota\u2019s current early care and education system is not working well for parents, children, or providers. Costs for parents are too high to bear.\u00a0The Great …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":126,"featured_media":1797,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[92],"tags":[566,299],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n