Minnesota’s nonpartisan think tank Center of the American Experiment recently issued a terrific report highlighting some of the steps that government can take to improve childcare access and affordability.
As young families across the state are aware, this is one of the biggest challenges that we face – especially in Greater Minnesota. Childcare is both difficult to find and incredibly expensive. As the report indicates, “according to data from Child Care Aware, the average family in the United States spent nearly $12,000 in 2019 to send their infant to a licensed daycare center. For a family with two children — one infant and one 4-year-old — the average cost to keep both kids in a center was about $21,460.”
When childcare costs as much as your rent or mortgage, it’s obviously a big problem.
American Experiment’s report shows how excessive state regulations are driving up the cost of childcare for families everywhere, and that more funding is not the best or only solution. Their report contains three key recommendations:
- Loosen child-staff ratios and group size limits
- Loosen staff hiring and training requirements
- Improve the flexibility of licensing rules
We can do these things without sacrificing safety or quality of care for our children, but it will help with the affordability issue.
I’d encourage everyone to read the entire report: https://files.americanexperiment.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/childcare-policy-briefing.pdf
Veterans of post-9/11 wars can apply for bonus pay
Minnesota has a long, proud history of providing bonuses to veterans of America’s wars. This year, the legislature appropriated funding to pay bonuses to veterans of the post-9/11 wars.
If you served in one of those wars, please make sure to apply as soon as you can. The final day to apply is June 30, 2024, but if funds are exhausted you may miss out.
For more information and to apply, visit MinnesotaVeteran.org/ServiceBonus.
2022 Farm Family of the Year from Waterville
Recently Waterville’s David Domonoske and his family were named as Le Sueur County’s 2022 Farm Family of the Year by the University of Minnesota!
David took over the farm in 2009 after his father passed. Together, the family currently raise 15 sows and sell show pigs to kids across Minnesota. They also sell their sweet corn locally, and are active in 4-H.
Please join me in congratulating the Domonoske family on this great achievement!
Contact me
If you have any questions about any of these issues or any other issue the legislature is working on, please don’t hesitate to contact me any time. My email is Sen.Rich.Draheim@Senate.mn, and my phone number is 651-296-5558. It is a privilege to serve you!
Rich