Northwest Minnesota Foundation awarded $400,000 child care grant

May 17—BEMIDJI — The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development recently awarded $6.2 million in grants to 21 organizations to expand child care across the state including a $400,000 grant to the

Northwest Minnesota Foundation

in Bemidji.

According to a release, DEED's Child Care Economic Development Grant program 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.

The funding is expected to increase child care program capacity by 2,241 slots.

"Making Minnesota the best state for children and families starts with child care,"

Gov. Tim Walz

said in a release. "Accessible, quality child care is critical not only for strong child development, but also for the economic wellbeing of the families in our state. These grants will increase access to child care and help more Minnesotans enter the workforce, growing our labor force and economy."

Since 2017, DEED has issued more than $6.5 million in Child Care Economic Development grants to 56 local governments and non-profit organizations across the state. DEED will issue a second grant round, also worth $6.2 million, later this year.

Fifteen of the grants were awarded across greater Minnesota.