MINNESOTA CHILD CARE RESOURCE AND REFERRAL NETWORK

Programs

1. Child care system support:provide leadership and influence across the child care aware system. Focused on diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism (dei-ar) issues within the child care aware of minnesota system and beyond:o we continue to meet quarterly with district and regional leadership to clarify roles and develop a shared vision. O we supported each district and region in developing and implementing an equity plan, which received financial support from dcyf. O the anti-racism workgroup at the ccaomn coordinating office (co) met twice a month to identify challenges that continue racism in the coordinating office and the system and to take action to address those challenges. They led a conflict engagement effort with the co staff, which included the development of a conflict engagement toolkit and a two-day training. Convened function-specific field staff and overall coordination/leadership staff to support and guide project work and provide updates and support as needed. Led a system-wide strategies work for shared strategic vision and strategies across all program areas. Led a system-wide advocacy network, which convenes quarterly to learn, educate, and share advocacy…

   $3,558,439 spentof which $1,050 as grants
   37% of program spending

2. Direct financial supports: high-quality child care requires substantial investments in certification, education, and retention of early educators. Our scholarship and grant programs focus on retaining early childhood educators and supporting their professional development. Our financial supports team has recently begun using a new salesforce data system. -t.e.a.c.h. Early childhood minnesota (t.e.a.c.h.) is a scholarship program that helps early childhood and school-age educators increase their levels of education, compensation, and commitment to the field by earning college credits and degrees. -awarded 220 teach scholarships of these, 81 (36%) self-identified as bipoc, and 95 (43%) of teach recipients are considered rural. -recipients completed an average of 14-17 credits per contract. -recipients in minnesota completed more than 2,551 credit hours. -our teach team piloted an apprenticeship program in partnership with the teach national office. This program supports apprentices with employment, on-the-job training, college coursework, individualized mentoring, and additional support in earning industry-recognized credentials and degrees and applying early childhood best…

   $4,832,778 spentof which $3,457,912 as grants
   51% of program spending

3. Eager-to-learn: eager-to-learn (etl) is an innovative, community-based e-learning program. Its online courses are designed to provide quality, accessible educational opportunities for people who care for children. A leader in the field, eager-to-learn is built upon several decades of research supporting the effectiveness and universal reach of the online learning model. Trained professionals offer courses covering various topics on children from birth to age 12.

   $611,353 spent
   6% of program spending

4. Parent aware rating:the coordinating office receives funding through a separate contract with the minnesota department of children, youth & families (dcyf) to manage the parent aware rating team that provides final review and scoring for the quality documentation portfolios submitted by early educators pursuing a star rating. This work includes rigorous processes to ensure reliability and consistency in scoring. This team reviews and recommends star rating levels to the minnesota department of human services for all parent aware applicants, including those pursuing a full rating, an accelerated rating, or an expedited rating. The ratings team has also been providing input for the upcoming one-star rating changes and has continued to collaborate with parent aware for standards and indicator updates and the parent aware redesign.

   $369,553 spent$227,413 earned by the program
   4% of program spending

5. Other projects:sheltering arms foundation grantthis grant funds a lobbying contract for the work of "transforming minnesota's early childhood workforce birth through eight." child care aware of minnesota serves as the pass-through entity for payment. The work includes increasing access to ongoing professional development and degree attainment opportunities for the early childhood workforce and strategies for increasing compensation.the child care advocates ready to emerge (care) fellowshipthis funding from the hopkins early learning center (as part of their dissolution as a nonprofit) was earmarked for the continuation of the care fellowship. An mou was signed to direct the use of the funding. A budget was created to extend this initial funding across 2021-2025. The care fellowship brings together a diverse group of enthusiastic and curious participants to improve their advocacy knowledge and skills. This project is a collaborative effort across multiple organizations, with child care aware serving as the fiscal host.naeyc grant this grant includes pass-through funds to mnaeyc for outreach and promotion of the unifying framework and support for the policy work of transforming…

   $118,366 spent
   1% of program spending

The 5 programs described on its FY2024 Form 990, listed largest first by expense. Program spending in total: $9,490,489.