Our Partners

Great Start Goals

In 2021, the Minnesota Legislature established the Great Start for All Minnesota Task Force to develop a plan and implementation timeline to achieve the following goals:

  • affordable and accessible childcare and early learning for all families

  • high-quality childcare and early learning for all children no matter race, income, or zip code

  • a childcare and early learning system that equitably compensates and supports a diverse early childhood educator workforce

The Task Force released its final report with recommendations on February 1, 2023.

Great Start MN is a group of early childhood organizations working together to help Minnesota implement these recommendations to achieve these goals. We believe Minnesota can transform its childcare and early learning system so that every child gets off to a great start.

Together, we worked to get these childcare wins in the 2023 Minnesota legislative session:

  • Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) reimbursement rates raised to the 75th percentile

  • $600 million over the next four years in ongoing funding to stabilize childcare teacher wages (Great Start Compensation Support Payments)

  • A doubling of the amount available for Early Learning Scholarships to almost $400 million over the next two years

  • A new Department of Children, Youth, and Families to provide streamlined services for childcare and early learning

  • A study to transition from the current market rate model to a more accurate cost-based model for Child Care Assistance Program reimbursement

  • A bridge to a new Great Start program–the new commissioner of the Department of Children, Youth, and Families is required to report and begin incorporating recommendations to create a new Great Start Scholarship program in which no family would pay more than 7% of their annual income towards childcare