Much Needed Child Care Expansions Coming to Southern MN

The Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation based in Owatonna announced a number of grants which will result in more child care in southern Minnesota. The Foundation in partnership with the Minnesota Department of human Services is awarding 14 grants in the amount of over $60,000 for child care projects.

Four grants will go towards expansion of current child care facilities in Mantorville, Mapleton, Montgomery and Waseca. There are four other grants that will be used to assist with the opening of child care centers in Cleveland, Hayfield, Mankato and Red Wing. There were also six grants that will assist in opening new family child care centers in Austin, Le Roy, Mazeppa, and Red Wing. Also grants to Plainview to open two new family child care facilities.

These grants should support an additional 548 child care slots in the Foundation's 20 county region. Recent research had shown a need for an additional need for over 8,600 licensed child care slots.

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