Last session, despite the budget deficit, neither the Omnibus E-12 Education Bill nor the Omnibus Health and Human Services Bill included any direct cuts to early care or early education programs, meaning that state funding for Head Start, ECFE, School Readiness, Early Screening, and Family Home Visiting currently remain flat through the next biennium.

In addition, the E-12 Education Bill established a quality rating system framework that included a study to determine how to move child care programs from the Department of Human Services to the Department of Education.

FUNDING INTACT

State funding for Head Start, ECFE, School Readiness, Early Screening, and Family Home Visiting remain flat through the next biennium, as no direct cuts were made to these programs during the 2009 Session.  The E-12 Education Bill required that a quality rating system framework be established, and requited a study to determine how to move child care programs from the Department of Human Services to the Department of Education.

The Health and Human Services Bill included $26 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for child care-related services.

QUALITY RATING SYSTEM ESTABLISHED

The Quality Rating and Improvement System framework was created as part of the 2009 Omnibus Education Bill to ensure that all children have access to quality early-learning programs.  The voluntary QRIS includes quality opportunities in order to improve the educational outcomes of children so they are ready for school. The framework shall be based on the Minnesota QRIS rating tool and a common set of child outcome and program standards.

LEARNING STUDY ESTABLISHED

The departments of Human Services and Education will develop a study to determine how to effectively transition basic sliding fee child care, MFIP child care, and child care development grants from the Department of Human Services to the Department of Education, and determine how to create an early-learning system with one common set of standards.

The departments of Human Services and Education will report the results of this study by February 15, 2010, to the legislative committees having jurisdiction over health and human services, early education, and K-12 education.

CHILD WELFARE

Every child deserves a loving and safe home.  Each year, the Senate considers proposals to improve the system and ensure that all children are receiving the support they deserve.  Last session, the Senate DFL passed a number of provisions that would help children transitioning out of foster care maintain services that would help them to establish independent and productive lives. This year, legislators will look at ways to end the racial disparity that exists within the foster care and child welfare system, and increase the number of permanent homes available to children through adoption.