Subd. 1. Authority.

The commissioner of children, families, and learning may make grants to public or private nonprofit agencies for the planning, establishment, expansion, improvement, or operation of child care resource and referral programs and child care services according to the provisions of this section and may make grants to county boards to carry out the purposes of sections 119B.19 to 119B.21.

Subd. 2.

Repealed, 1997 c 162 art 1 s 19

Subd. 3. Program services.

The commissioner may make grants to public or private nonprofit entities to fund child care resource and referral programs. Child care resource and referral programs must serve a defined geographic area.

Subd. 4. Grant requirements and priority.

Priority for awarding resource and referral grants shall be given in the following order:

1. (1) start up resource and referral programs in areas of the state where they do not exist; and

2. (2) improve resource and referral programs.

   1. (a) Each program shall identify all existing child care services through information provided by all relevant public and private agencies in the areas of service, and shall develop a resource file of the services which shall be maintained and updated at least quarterly. These services must include family day care homes; public and private day care programs; full-time and part-time programs; infant, preschool, and extended care programs; and programs for school age children.

      The resource file must include: the type of program, hours of program service, ages of children served, fees, location of the program, eligibility requirements for enrollment, special needs services, and transportation available to the program. The file may also include program information and special program features.

   2. (b) Each resource and referral program shall establish a referral process which responds to parental need for information and which fully recognizes confidentiality rights of parents. The referral process must afford parents maximum access to all referral information. This access must include telephone referral available for no less than 20 hours per week.

      Each child care resource and referral agency shall publicize its services through popular media sources, agencies, employers, and other appropriate methods.

   3. (c) Each resource and referral program shall maintain ongoing documentation of requests for service. All child care resource and referral agencies must maintain documentation of the number of calls and contacts to the child care information and referral agency or component. A resource and referral program shall collect and maintain the following information:

      1. (1) ages of children served;
      2. (2) time category of child care request for each child;
      3. (3) special time category, such as nights, weekends, and swing shift; and
      4. (4) reason that the child care is needed.

   4. (d) Each resource and referral program shall make available the following information as an educational aid to parents:

      1. (1) information on aspects of evaluating the quality and suitability of child care services, including licensing regulation, financial assistance available, child abuse reporting procedures, appropriate child development information;
      2. (2) information on available parent, early childhood, and family education programs in the community.

   5. (e) On or after one year of operation a resource and referral program shall provide technical assistance to employers and existing and potential providers of all types of child care services. This assistance shall include:

      1. (1) information on all aspects of initiating new child care services including licensing, zoning, program and budget development, and assistance in finding information from other sources;
      2. (2) information and resources which help existing child care providers to maximize their ability to serve the children and parents of their community;
      3. (3) dissemination of information on current public issues affecting the local and state delivery of child care services;
      4. (4) facilitation of communication between existing child care providers and child-related services in the community served;
      5. (5) recruitment of licensed providers; and

      6. (6) options, and the benefits available to employers utilizing the various options, to expand child care services to employees.

         Services prescribed by this section must be designed to maximize parental choice in the selection of child care and to facilitate the maintenance and development of child care services and resources.

   6. (f) Child care resource and referral information must be provided to all persons requesting services and to all types of child care providers and employers.

   7. (g) Each resource and referral program shall coordinate early childhood training for child care providers in that program's service delivery area. The resource and referral program shall convene an early childhood care and education training advisory committee to assist in the following activities:

      1. (1) assess the early childhood care and education training needs of child care center staff and family and group family child care providers;
      2. (2) coordinate existing early childhood care and education training;
      3. (3) develop new early childhood care and education training opportunities; and
      4. (4) publicize all early childhood training classes and workshops to child care center staff and family and group family child care providers in the service delivery area.
   8. (h) Public or private entities may apply to the commissioner for funding. A local match of up to 25 percent is required.

   Resource and referral programs shall meet the following requirements:

Subd. 5. Application; rules.

Applicants for grants under subdivision 1 shall apply on a form provided by the commissioner. Applications for grants using funds received by the state pursuant to subdivision 2 shall include assurances that federal requirements have been met. The commissioner may adopt rules as necessary to implement this section.