Subd. 1. Establishment.

A family, friend, and neighbor (FFN) grant program is established to promote children's early literacy, healthy development, and school readiness, and to foster community partnerships to promote children's school readiness. The commissioner shall attempt to ensure that grants are made in all areas of the state. The commissioner of human services shall make grants available to fund: community-based organizations, nonprofit organizations, and Indian tribes working with FFN caregivers under subdivision 2, paragraph (a); and community-based partnerships to implement early literacy programs under subdivision 2, paragraph (b).

Subd. 2. Program components.

(a)(1) Grants that the commissioner awards under this section must be used by community-based organizations, nonprofit organizations, and Indian tribes working with FFN caregivers in local communities, cultural communities, and Indian tribes to:

1. (i) provide training, support, and resources to FFN caregivers in order to improve and promote children's health, safety, nutrition, and school readiness;
2. (ii) connect FFN caregivers and children's families with appropriate community resources that support the families' health, mental health, economic, and developmental needs;
3. (iii) connect FFN caregivers and children's families to early childhood screening programs and facilitate referrals where appropriate;
4. (iv) provide FFN caregivers and children's families with information about early learning guidelines from the Departments of Human Services and Education;
5. (v) provide FFN caregivers and children's families with information about becoming a licensed family child care provider; and
6. (vi) provide FFN caregivers and children's families with information about early learning allowances and enrollment opportunities in high quality community-based child-care and preschool programs.

7. (2) Grants that the commissioner awards under this paragraph also may be used for:

   1. (i) health and safety and early learning kits for FFN caregivers;
   2. (ii) play-and-learn groups with FFN caregivers;
   3. (iii) culturally appropriate early childhood training for FFN caregivers;
   4. (iv) transportation for FFN caregivers and children's families to school readiness and other early childhood training activities;
   5. (v) other activities that promote school readiness;
   6. (vi) data collection and evaluation;
   7. (vii) staff outreach and outreach activities;
   8. (viii) translation needs; or
   9. (ix) administrative costs that equal up to 12 percent of the recipient's grant award.

   10. (b) Grants that the commissioner awards under this section also must be used to fund partnerships among Minnesota public and regional library systems, community-based organizations, nonprofit organizations, and Indian tribes to implement early literacy programs in low-income communities, including tribal communities, to:

       1. (1) purchase and equip early childhood read-mobiles that provide FFN caregivers and children's families with books, training, and early literacy activities;
       2. (2) provide FFN caregivers and children's families with translations of early childhood books, training, and early literacy activities in native languages; or
       3. (3) provide FFN caregivers and children's families with early literacy activities in local libraries.

Subd. 3. Grant awards.

Interested entities eligible to receive a grant under this section may apply to the commissioner in the form and manner the commissioner determines. The commissioner shall awards grants to eligible entities consistent with the requirements of this section.

Subd. 4. Evaluation.

The commissioner, in consultation with early childhood care and education experts at the University of Minnesota, must evaluate the impact of the grants under subdivision 2 on children's school readiness and submit a written report to the human services and education finance and policy committees of the legislature by February 15, 2010.