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The Minnesota Department of Human Services announces the release of a new study on the child care workforce.

The study, conducted by Wilder Research, provides updated information about the size, stability and the demographics of those serving children in licensed family child care homes, child care centers, preschools and school-age care programs in Minnesota. The study also assesses the needs and motivations for participating in child care training and professional development opportunities. This information was gathered through a combination of surveys, administrative data, and focus groups.

Below are links to the reports summarizing the findings. These reports can also be found on the DHS website www.dhs.state.mn.us. To find them, click the "children" tab, then "child care", then "research", or use the following links:

Child Care Workforce in Minnesota - Final Report http://edocs.dhs.state.mn.us/lfserver/Legacy/DHS-5115-ENG

Child Care Workforce in Minnesota - Focus Group Findings http://edocs.dhs.state.mn.us/lfserver/Legacy/DHS-5116-ENG

April 1, 2007
MLFCCA is very excited about the Accreditation Facilitation Project. MELF and DHS have awarded a grant to the Umbrella Strategic Alliance to support providers in their efforts to achieve accreditation. For more information on the Accreditation Project, click here.

March 3, 2007
Read the MLFCCA response and letter to Legislators concerning the proposed bills discussed below: HF 659-Slawik / SF 536-Robling Family Child Care License Fees & Background Check Fees.

Feb 26, 2007
The Scott County Licensed Family Child Care Association has a bill in committee to reduce the FCC license fees and eliminate the background check fees. Below are the background information and talking points about this bill.

Background for the License Fee Reduction and Background Check Elimination Bill

The Scott County Licensed Family Child Care Association (SCLFCCA) worked with Senator Claire Robling to draft a bill to reduce license fees and eliminate background check fees. Beth Mork and several family child care providers are talking to legislators at the capitol to gain support for this legislation. SEIU Kids First has worked on getting a bi-partisan authorship in the house. SCLFCCA has attached the bill to this e-mail. We ask you as a leader in your county to share this bill with other providers. And most important, we request that you ask each person you share this bill with to share their stories about the licensing fee and hardships with their Senator and Representative. Go to http://www.leg.state.mn.us/leg/Districtfinder.asp to find your Senator and Representative. Phone: (651) 296-0504 or (651) 296-2887 When you type in your address and zip code you will see pictures and contacts for your Senator and Representative. By talking with your legislators we will be setting up a “Yes” vote in both the House and Senate.

SCLFCCA will keep you informed of any changes to the bill and hearings.
House File: HF0659
Senate File: SF0536

1^st Hearing in the House Committee is March 6^th from 4-5:30 p.m.

Health, Housing, Family Security Committee Feb. 28 12:30-2:45 for the Senate Committee.

Talking Points on the License Fee Reduction:

Minnesota has lost over 1000 licensed family child care providers since 2003. Unlicensed care givers are harder to monitor, harder to identify to offer support services or training and leave more of our children at risk of being in the large numbers of children who reach kindergarten not yet prepared. Share with your legislators the number of licensed providers in your county or community that has decreased since the license fee/background check has been initiated by counties. Share any stories of any specific providers you are aware of who left the field because of the cost of re-licensing.

As a Food Program Director, I actually had providers call and drop from the Food Program participation telling me “My license is coming up for renewal. I care for a very small group of children and it is not feasible for me to pay the fee for relicensing my child care and for the newly required background check.” Beth Mork, past MLFCCA Food Program Director

Average Net Income of MN Family Child Care Providers in 2006 is between $9,300 and $14,700. If you would like the average net income for your county please contact Deloris Friske at 952-492-3827 or friske@frontiernet.net

What is the average net income of a family child care provider in Scott County?

According to 2006 CCR&R Survey’s Scott County has 8.5 children to an average child care home. Many child care providers have at least 2 of their own children counting in that 8.5 number, leaving 6.5 paid spaces. Using the Average Rates for Scott County and Tom Copeland’s national average of 30% of gross profit is net income, a provider with 6.5 paying children in Scott County makes about $14,700. The $250 license fee is about 2% of a family child care provider’s net income. A teacher’s license has a percent of income far less than 1% at 0.19% when compared for the same year.

In Ramsey County there is no license fee and providers have an average of 7 (5 paying) children in care. Their net income is about $11,175.

In Dakota County with an average of 8 (6 paying) children in care the net income is $13,100.

Olmsted County pays $250 yearly for a license. This is a strong 2% of their net income yearly. $12,850 is the net income for 8 (6 paying) children.

Family Child Care Providers are generally not opposed to a fair licensing fee. Survey’s done in 87 counties prior to the 2003 bill being passed showed family child care providers felt a $50.00 license fee would be a fee they felt was fair

Fee Variations from County to County can be devasting to providers whose clients are coming from the same area. Licensed Family Child Care Providers operate their businesses under Rule II. There have always been intrepretation variations in regards to what satisfies compliance to licensing regulations from county to county. This has been a challenge to providers who struggle with exactly what satisfies compliance with the regulations. Now we have added fee differences from county to county for providers licensing their businesses under the same regulations. For example, Ramsey County has no fee and Northern Dakota County a $250 fee. When a Dakota County provider passes the cost along to parents this results in child care in the Ramsey county appear more appealing to parents based on cost wise? This bill gives counties flexibility to not charge a fee and makes for a fairer consistency with the licensing fee. The goal should be to encourage licensing as part of our child care system, to protect children and their families, and to keep child care providers visible and reachable in order to connect them with resources and training.
- Family Child Care Providers are taxpayers. Child Care is a base service to keep the economy of a county alive. Consistent and quality child care is important to the stability of the work force in a county. Not only do the majority of parents utilizing child care in every county in our state pay taxes that fund operations of their respective counties, child care providers also pay taxes. Licensing fees discourage people from entering a field that pays little, offers an important, necessary service supporting the economy and bringing in additional revenue as tax payers.
  
  The license fee needs to be fair and equitable when compared with the income family child care has potential to generate. The process is mandated by the state (DHS) to be conducted by the county. With the net income generated by a provider per year based on child number restrictions by Rule II family child care providers cannot be 6 digit wage earners. Our current license fee is higher than 6 digit wage earners license fees (doctors) who pay $192 for a renewal of their license.
  
  Greater Minnesota and Equity. Family Child Care is the most common option in Greater Minnesota. Some counties do not have center care as a choice for parents. Net income decreases as you move away from the 7 county metro area. A reasonable cap on the license fee and allowing counties to choose lower fees than the cap, allows counties to meet the child care demand in their location in the state.
  
  Having children ready for Kindergarten. Changes are occurring in accountability of programs. There is an increased professionalism on the part of providers in the field and coming into the field. With the lower child-adult ratio in many family child care homes by choice, children coming through family child care settings have the potential to be many times more prepared for kindergarten than children in care from other settings. Let’s not close our smaller homes with fees that are high.
  
  Background Check Fee
  
  Based on the Human Services Background Check Statute, subdivision 1, there should have been no charge for the background study. Below is the current statute.
  
  245C.10 BACKGROUND STUDY; FEES.
      Subdivision 1. Subject of background study. No applicant, license holder, or individual
  who is the subject of a background study shall pay any fees required to conduct the study.
      Subd. 2. Supplemental nursing services agencies. The commissioner shall recover the cost of the background studies initiated by supplemental nursing services agencies registered under section 144A.71, subdivision 1, through a fee of no more than $20 per study charged to the agency. The fees collected under this subdivision are appropriated to the commissioner for the purpose of conducting background studies.
      Subd. 3. Personal care provider organizations. The commissioner shall recover the
  cost of background studies initiated by a personal care provider organization under sections
  256B.0651 and 256B.0653 to 256B.0656 through a fee of no more than $20 per study charged to the organization responsible for submitting the background study form. The fees collected under this subdivision are appropriated to the commissioner for the purpose of conducting background studies.
  History: 2003 c 15 art 1 s 10; 1Sp2005 c 4 art 5 s
  
  Background Checks are a public service. More than half of the children in care are in unlicensed child care programs according to CCR&R (Child Care Resource and Referral). If these Family Friends and Neighbor (FFN) providers are contracted with the state and receiving child care assistance funding, the background checks on these homes are picked up by the state of Minnesota as part of that system. Background checks are a public service, designed to protect children. If a child is in a child care center, background check fees are part of the licensing fee, not an additional fee. This service should be equitably provided. Children in licensed family child care homes deserve the same protection and their providers and families should not have to bear the cost that is provided in the name of public safety in other situations.
  
  Feb 21, 2007
  MLFCCA is very excited about the Accreditation Facilitation Project. MELF and DHS have awarded a grant to the Umbrella Strategic Alliance to support providers in their efforts to achieve accreditation. MLFCCA will be contracting with a family child care accreditation specialist as part of this project. I am sure that many of you know someone who would be an excellent candidate to help family providers achieve accreditation. Download the position requirements and description.
  
  Feb 20, 2007
  Asthma is a common yet manageable illness. Improving the indoor environment in your building can help children and staff breathe easier and prevent asthma episodes. The Minnesota Department of Health is hosting two trainings about asthma and the indoor environment. Download the flyer with more information or download the registration form.