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Insights, Ideas, and Resources for Early Learning
Welcome to the Think Small Blog, your go-to destination for valuable insights, innovative ideas, and inspiring stories in the field of early learning. Dive into a treasure trove of articles crafted by our team of experts, dedicated to empowering child care providers, educators, and families.
Child Care Assistance Program: Additional Changes and Future Aspirations
CCAP helps families pay for child care costs while parents go to work or school. It is a complex program that receives federal and state funding. Minnesota counties administer the ...
Child Care Assistance Program: Waitlist and Eligibility
CCAP helps families pay for child care costs while parents go to work or school. It is a complex program that receives federal and state funding. Minnesota counties administer the ...
Child Care Assistance Program Reimbursement Rate Changes
CCAP helps families pay for child care costs while parents go to work or school. It is a complex program that receives federal and state funding. Minnesota counties administer the ...
What’s in the Budget AND When is it Happening: Child Care Assistance Program
In the summary of what passed this legislative session, one of the important items was changes and funding for the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP).CCAP helps families pay for child ...
2023 Early Care and Education Legislation
There’s now a clearer picture of what will become law in 2023. When it comes to early care and education, there is a lot! We’re still digesting, but here’s ...
Early Care and Education in the Omnibus Bills
State legislators are on Spring Break, and omnibus budget bills are available. An omnibus bill is made up of many other bills centered on a specific topic. State legislators ...
Policy Hour: Child Care Updates
This month’s Ann Kaner-Roth Policy Hour was focused on recent and upcoming work at the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) with presenters from the Child Care Assistance Program and Child Development ...
Child Care Assistance Makes a Difference: Oliver's Story
By Kristie Thorson, Communications Specialist St. Paul mother Stephanie Henderson knows her son Oliver has benefited from high-quality early care and education. “It was just so great for him,” said ...
Policy Hour: Child Care
By Marie Huey, Policy and Advocacy Coordinator Staff from the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) joined us for February’s Ann Kaner-Roth Policy Hour to provide updates on child care. ...
Child Care Assistance Makes a Difference: Aaron's Story
Minnesota’s Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) helps make child care affordable for income-eligible families. This can often be life-changing for children and parents, as it was for the Santamaria Mendez family.Four-year-old Aaron Santamaria Mendez ...
Policy Hour: Legislative Wrap-Up
By Marie Huey, Public Policy and Advocacy CoordinatorThe 2018 legislative session ended on May 22. To explain the implications for the early care and education field, two experts joined us: ...
Policies in Play: Child Care Assistance Program Changes
The Policies in Play series takes a closer look at the recently passed state legislative policies that affect early care and education. We work with partners to find out what ...
Policy Hour - Changes to Child Care in Minnesota
Staff from the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) presented at November Policy Hour about the changes to child care in Minnesota. During the 2017 legislative session, many changes ...
Legislative Wrap-Up: How did Early Learning Fare?
Minnesota legislators wrapped up the special session last week, and the Governor signed budget bills into law. Read about the new policies and programs that affect early learning throughout the ...
Policy Hour: Updates, Challenges and Bright Spots
Jim Koppel, Assistant Commissioner for Children and Family Services for the Minnesota Department of Human Services, spoke to Policy Hour attendees on March 7th. He talked about the child care ...
Policy Hour Highlights New Federal Rules in Head Start and Child Care
New federal policy changes will affect the Minnesota early learning field. November Policy Hour featured staff from the state departments of Education and Human Services sharing updates about the changes.
Leaders in Early Learning Bring Concerns to MN House Committee on Child Care
The Minnesota House Select Committee on Affordable Child Care held a hearing on July 19 at the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board office to hear from the community on child ...
County by County, Here’s What Child Care Looks Like Across Minnesota
We must close gaps first by supporting early learning programs already in place to reach our most at risk children. Child Care is an essential and large piece of this ...
CCAP, Early Learning Scholarships Key to Equity Conversation at #CYIB16
The 2016 Children and Youth Issues Briefing this week featured an important and inspiring conversation about the future of early learning in Minnesota.
MN DHS Dives into New Federal Guidelines at Policy Hour
The first Minnesota’s Future Policy Hour of 2016 took place at Think Small’s Minneapolis office featuring leaders from the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) to discuss the re-authorization of ...