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Minnesota child care providers were hard hit by low enrollment and higher costs throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. In response, the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) is administering several grant programs to help stabilize the child care industry in Minnesota. These grant programs are described below.
La Ley del Plan de Rescate Estadounidense (ARP; por sus siglas en Ingles) fue promulgada en marzo del 2021 y proporcionó a Minnesota fondos adicionales para estabilizar la industria del cuidado infantil durante la pandemia de COVID-19. A finales de junio del 2021, la legislatura del estado de Minnesota creó el Programa de Subvenciones para la Estabilización del Infantil, que comenzó a implementarse en junio del 2021 y durará hasta junio del 2023. El Programa de Subvenciones para la Estabilización del Cuidado Infantil incluye:
Si necesita ayuda para comprender esta carta, comuníquese con Rocio Sosa, rsosa@thinksmall.org, 651-641-6660
The department's Child Care Stabilization Base Grants are available to all eligible child care providers for monthly grant awards. To be eligible for a Base Grant, providers must be licensed, certified or registered, in good standing with the Minnesota Department of Human Services or their tribe, and be open, operating and serving children during the funding period, in addition to other requirements. At the start of each monthly application period, eligible providers receive an email with a link to a personalized application form. 70% of these funds must be used to increase compensation for staff regularly caring for children. Learn more about Base Grants by reading the Base Grants and Base Grant Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).
Financial Hardship Grants are available to child care programs experiencing extreme financial hardship. Specific grant amounts, eligibility criteria and application timeline are available on the Financial Hardship Grants page.
| Grant | Funding Period | Application period |
| June 2022 Base Grants | May 15, 2022 - Jun. 14, 2022 | Jun. 15, 2022 - Jun. 22,2022 at 4 p.m. |
| June 2022 Financial Hardship Grant | March 1, 2022 - May 31, 2022 | Jun. 23, 2022 – Jul. 7, 2022 at 4 p.m. |
| July 2022 Base Grant | Jun. 15, 2022 – Jul. 14, 2022 | Jul. 15, 2022 – Jul. 22, 2022 at 4 p.m. |
| July 2022 Financial Hardship Grant | Apr. 1, 2022 – Jun. 31, 2022 | Jul. 25, 2022 - Aug. 8, 2022 at 4 p.m. |
| August 2022 Base Grant | Jul. 15, 2022 – Aug. 14, 2022 | Aug. 15, 2022 – Aug. 22, 2022 4 p.m. |
| August 2022 Financial Hardship Grant | May 1, 2021– Jul. 31, 2022 | Aug. 23, 2022 - Sep. 6, 2022 at 4 p.m. |
| September 2022 Base Grant | Aug. 15, 2022 – Sep. 14, 2022 | Sep. 15, 2022 – Sep. 22, 2022 at 4 p.m. |
| September 2022 Financial Hardship Grant | Jun 1, 2022– Aug. 31, 2022 | Sep. 23, 2022 - Oct. 7, 2022 at 4 p.m. |
| October 2022 Base Grant | Sep. 15, 2022 – Oct. 14, 2022 | Oct. 17, 2022 – Oct. 24, 2022 at 4 p.m. |
| October 2022 Financial Hardship Grant | Jul. 1, 2022– Sep. 30, 2022 | Oct. 25, 2022 - Nov. 8, 2022 at 4 p.m. |
| November 2022 Base Grant | Oct. 15, 2022 – Nov. 14, 2022 | Nov. 15, 2022 – Nov. 22, 2022 at 4 p.m. |
| November 2022 Financial Hardship Grant | Aug. 1, 2022– Oct. 31, 2022 | Nov. 23, 2022 - Dec. 7, 2022 at 4 p.m. |
| December 2022 Base Grant | Nov. 15, 2022 – Dec. 14, 2022 | Dec. 15, 2022 – Dec. 22, 2022 at 4 p.m. |
| December 2022 Financial Hardship Grant | Sep. 1, 2022– Nov. 30, 2022 | Dec. 23, 2022 - Jan. 6, 2023 at 4 p.m. |
All $20 million of the One-Time Supplemental Stabilization Grant funds was awarded in January 2022. The Child Care Stabilization Base Grant’s requirement to use 70% of funds to increase compensation for staff regularly caring for children did not apply to One-Time Supplemental Stabilization Grants. Legal non-licensed providers were not eligible for One-Time Supplemental Stabilization Grants. Learn more about this grant at One-time Supplemental Stabilization Grants.
The American Rescue Plan Act was signed into law in March 2021, and it provided Minnesota with additional funds designed to help stabilize the child care industry as the state continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. These federal funds have specific rules and requirements that must be followed.
At the end of June 2021, the Minnesota Legislature created Minnesota’s Child Care Stabilization Grant Program, which began in June 2021 and will last until June 2023.
Base Grants:
Child care programs eligible to apply include:
One-time Supplemental Stabilization Grants:
Child care programs eligible to apply include:
Financial Hardship Grants:
Child care programs eligible to apply include:
In addition, the above eligible programs must be licensed, certified or registered and in good standing throughout the funding period with the Minnesota Department of Human Services (under Minnesota Rules, Chapters 9502, 9503, 245H or 119B) or their tribe. This means the program must not have been:
Refer to the Base Grant Frequently Asked Questions or Financial Hardship Grant page for more details on eligibility requirements of each type of grant.
Online applications for Child Care Stabilization Base Grants will be available to all eligible child care providers on a monthly basis. Eligible providers will receive an email at the start of each application period with a link to a personalized application form. Applications for One-Time Supplemental Stabilization Grants will be included in the January 2022 base grant application. Please see the Child Care Stabilization Base Grants webpage for more details on the application process and timelines.
Financial Hardship Grants are available to child care providers starting January 2022. Please visit the Child Care Stabilization Financial Hardship Grant webpage for more information.
Minnesota Management and Budget, a state agency, will mail payments to the authorized agent, center operator, license holder or legal non-licensed provider at the address on file with the Minnesota Department of Human Services, Licensing Division.
Please note, these payments cannot be forwarded by the postal service and will be returned to Minnesota Management and Budget if your address on file with Minnesota Department of Human Services Licensing Division is not current in the DHS licensing system.
All address changes need to be submitted to the Licensing Division by your county licensor (family child care providers), tribal licensor, or Minnesota Department of Human Services licensor (child care centers). Legal non-licensed providers should contact their Child Care Assistance Program agency.
Base Grants, One-Time Supplemental Stabilization Grants and Financial Hardship Grants do not have to be repaid as long as child care providers meet all of the program requirements listed in the grant application.
Yes. Providers wishing to decline Base Grant funds are encouraged to indicate this on their personalized application form. Providers wishing to decline One-Time Supplemental Stabilization Grants should indicate this on their January 2022 Base Grant application, which includes the opportunity to apply for a One-Time Supplemental Grant.
This will assist the Minnesota Department of Human Services in budgeting and planning for the Child Care Stabilization Base Grant program, and will reduce the number of email reminders providers receive. Choosing to decline Base Grant funds one month will not affect a provider’s ability to apply for future Base Grant funding periods.
Providers who are not interested in applying for Financial Hardship Grants should not apply for them. Providers who do not apply for a Financial Hardship Grant during one month can apply during later months.
Please email Child Care Aware or call 651-290-9704.
