Expanded Grant Program to Help Train New Childcare Workers

A newly expanded grant program is aiming to bring training to Minnesota’s childcare workers.

The state announced an expansion of the Dual Training grant program on Monday Sept. 9, providing $450,000 to support training for new childcare workers. The program offers classroom and on-the-job training, with the state providing grants to reimburse the costs.

Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanigan made the announcement at Yellow Brick Road Early Childhood Development Center in Plymouth.

“We often talk about the first five years in the life of a child being foundational to the success for that individual child, which is absolutely true,” Flanigan said. “But it really is important to the overall success of our entire state.”

Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanigan reads to kids at Yellow Brick Road Early Childhood Development Center in Plymouth. She announced an expansion to the state’s Dual Training grants for childcare workers.

Previously, jobs in the childcare industry were not eligible for Dual Training grants. 

Industry officials said they need the help to get staff up to speed. 

“We can’t do it alone,” said Melissa Semira with Yellow Brick Road. “Much like parents can’t raise children alone. We’re all in a village together, and so for us to have support both financially and just from a collaborative standpoint is really, really important.”

The childcare industry was one of three that were recently added to the Dual Training program. The transportation and legal cannabis industries were also recently made eligible for the grants. Manufacturing, agriculture, health care services and information technology jobs are also eligible. 

Plymouth