In 2021, the Great Start for All Minnesota Children Task Force was established. Initiated by early childhood education professionals and childcare advocates, state legislators, and the Governor’s Office, this task force was designed to implement a statewide plan to ensure all Minnesotans “have access to affordable, high-quality early care and education that enriches, nurtures, and supports children and their families.” The specific goals outlined in this effort, include:
- Creating a system in which family costs for early care and education are affordable;
- Ensuring that a child’s access to high-quality early care and education is not determined by the child’s race, family income, or zip code; and
- Ensuring that Minnesota’s early childhood educators are qualified, diverse, supported and equitably compensated regardless of setting.
Last night, the Great Start for All Minnesota Children Task Force held the second of four listening sessions in 2022 on the WebEx videoconference platform. The purpose of these sessions is to engage members of the public on the progress of the task force and to solicit their input and feedback. And, although the final two listening sessions are still a few months away (August 25 and November 2), residents can still learn more about the Great Start for All Minnesota Children Task Force in advance of these meetings by visiting the task force webpage. This site includes a list of all voting and non-voting task force members, as well as meeting minutes, slides, and video dating back to November of 2021, among other details.
To learn more about the need for affordable, high-quality early childhood education – including information regarding current proposals and pending legislation, the latest research, news and resources, and other related issues – please read “Why it Matters” at the First Five Years Fund website. And, for more details about Community Action’s Head Start & Early Head Start programs, including eligibility guidelines, Pathway 1 scholarship opportunities, the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), and how to apply, please call 651-603-5977 or visit us online. Applications are available in Hmong, Somali, and Spanish.
