SF4545

Purpose

This bill changes how the Great Start compensation support payments grant program for child care works. It adds new rules programs must follow to receive funding, clarifies how money should be used, and sets reporting and eligibility requirements. The goal is to ensure funds are used efficiently, support staff and child care operations, and account for health, safety, and temporary closures.

Key Provisions

• Application per payment period
  • For each funding period, programs must complete an application developed by the commissioner.
  • The application for full-time equivalent staff who regularly care for children allows up to 24 hours annually of paid break time, professional development or training hours, and paid vacation time to count as qualifying hours toward reporting eligible FTE staff.
• Data reporting
  • Programs must submit data on child enrollment and attendance in a form and manner specified by the commissioner.
• Attestation of operation
  • Programs must attest in writing that they were open and operating and served a minimum number of children as determined by the commissioner during the funding period.
  • Exceptions to the minimum service level include:
  • Service disruptions necessary to protect child safety and health, in line with public health guidance from bodies such as the CDC, the commissioner of health, the commissioner of children youth and families, or a local public health agency.
  • Planned temporary closures for provider vacations and holidays during the funding period, with the commissioner setting the maximum allowed duration for vacations and holidays.
• Spending deadline
  • Funds paid under this section must be expended no later than six months after they are received.
• Compliance and verification
  • Programs must comply with all requirements in the application.
  • The commissioner must establish methods to determine that the application requirements have been met.

Changes to Existing Law

• The subdivision 3 requirements are expanded to explicitly include:
  • Counting paid break time, PD/training hours (up to 24 hours annually), and paid vacation time as qualifying hours for reporting eligible staff.
  • A formal attestation that the program was open, operating, and serving a minimum number of children, with specified health/safety and public health exceptions.
  • A defined process for temporary closures due to vacations/holidays with a maximum duration set by the commissioner.
  • A six-month deadline to spend awarded funds.
• These changes modify how funding periods are evaluated, what data must be reported, and how compliance is assessed.

Compliance and Oversight

• The commissioner is given authority to specify the data form/manner, determine whether requirements are met, and establish the maximum vacation/holiday duration.
• The bill maintains that funding must be used within a set timeframe and that programs must meet all application requirements to receive continued support.

Terminology and Concepts Emphasized

• Great Start compensation, grant program, Minnesota Statutes 2024 section 142D.21 subdivision 3
• Full-time equivalent (FTE) staff, paid break time, professional development (PD) or training hours, paid vacation time
• Qualifying hours, reporting of eligible FTE staff
• Enrollment and attendance data, form and manner specified by the commissioner
• Open and operating, minimum number of children
• Service disruptions, public health guidance, CDC, health and families commissioners, local public health agency
• Planned temporary closures, provider vacations, holidays
• Expenditure deadline (six months), compliance, and methods to verify requirements

Relevant Terms Great Start compensation, grant program, Minnesota Statutes 2024 section 142D.21 subdivision 3, full-time equivalent (FTE) staff, paid break time, professional development (PD), training hours, paid vacation time, qualifying hours, enrollment data, attendance data, form and manner specified by the commissioner, open and operating, minimum number of children, service disruptions, public health guidance, CDC, commissioner of health, commissioner of children youth and families, local public health agency, planned temporary closures, provider vacations, holidays, expenditure deadline, six months, compliance.