Four Southern Minnesota organizations are among those receiving grant money from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development for child care.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz announced $6.1 million in grants to expand access to child care across the state to 25 different organizations. DEED says the Child Care Economic Development Grants are expected to expand child care capacity by 1,400 slots statewide.
In Southern Minnesota, organizations in Mapleton, Hutchinson, Renville County and Nobles County received grant funding. Mapleton Economic Development Authority will receive $175,120.
DEED says its Child Care Economic Development Grant programs provides funding to communities to invest in new or expanding child care businesses, including facility improvements, worker training, attraction, retention and licensing and other strategies to reduce the child care shortage.
Since the inception of the office in July 2023, DEED has awarded $12 million in grants to 45 organizations to fund child care startups or business expansions, resulting in over 3,500 new child care slots.