8.4 Public-Private Partnerships

Lead Agencies must demonstrate how they encourage partnerships among other public agencies, Tribal organizations, private entities, faith-based organizations, businesses, or organizations that promote business involvement, and/or community-based organizations to leverage existing service delivery (i.e., cooperative agreement among providers to pool resources to pay for shared fixed costs and operation) to leverage existing child care and early education service delivery systems and to increase the supply and quality of child care services for children younger than age 13. 8.4.1 Lead Agency public-private partnerships Identify and describe any public-private partnerships encouraged by the Lead Agency to leverage public and private resources to further the goals of CCDF: Minnesota demonstrates numerous instances of collaboration between public agencies, Tribal organizations, private entities, faith- based organizations, and community-based organizations to leverage public and private resources to further the goals outlined in the CCDF plan and increase the supply and quality of child care services. Minnesota has a unique relationship with Tribes in fostering a coordinated statewide early childhood system. This includes close partnership with Minnesota Tribal Resources for Early Childhood Care (MNTRECC) which carries out duties through a grant to Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, similar to those of CCR&R, to Tribal communities as well as provide information related to state and national issues affecting Tribal child care and supports partnerships with organizations serving Tribal families and children. Furthering our commitment to public-private partnerships, the department has convened a diverse team of state and local partners to address child care capacity building efforts statewide. This collaboration, initiated during the Covid-19 pandemic leveraging relief funds, aims to launch new projects and expand existing ones. By uniting these partners, especially during the crisis peak, the state aims to support coordinated efforts, minimizing duplication, and maximizing resource utilization, thereby optimizing support for child care programs. This ongoing collaboration provides a platform for partners to share progress updates, exchange ideas, receive feedback, and establish connections to advance the overarching goal of enhancing child care capacity. State partners such as Family Child Care and Child Care Center and Certified Center Licensing, Minnesota Department of Education (MDE), Management and Budget: Governor’s Children’s Cabinet (MMB), and the Office of Child Care Partnerships through the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) actively participate in these efforts. Additional partners include CCR&R agencies, First Children’s Finance, Comunidades Latinas Unidas en Servicio (CLUES), and the Minnesota Initiative Foundations. Through coordinated efforts, partners strategically allocate funds and collaborate to support both new and existing child care programs. For instance, one of Minnesota’s shared services alliances combine department funds with funds from their local Minnesota Initiative Foundation to leverage and expand the services they can offer to family child care programs within their district. Additionally, First Children’s Finance (FCF) provides comprehensive support to individuals, child care programs, and communities in Minnesota, offering consultation, training, tools, and financial opportunities such as grants or loans. It's imperative for partners like FCF to remain informed about statewide initiatives to advise clients on how to utilize resources effectively for their small business. Similarly, Child Care Wayfinder serves as Minnesota’s ￿one stop shop￿, offering support for starting, sustaining, or expanding child care programs. Start-up and Retention Navigators, located statewide, provide vital resources and referrals, fostering partnerships with organizations, whether state-funded or private, to bolster child care programs. Notably, the strong partnership with the Minnesota Initiative Foundations aids in strengthening communities and economies outside the Metro area through grants, business financing, regional programs, and donor services.