Lawmakers look to retain child care providers

ST. PAUL -- More than 3,000 Minnesota child care providers have stopped providing the service in the past decade, and a bipartisan legislative panel says part of the fix to the problem is to make the system friendlier to providers.

House Republicans say there were 14,481 child care providers in Minnesota in 2005, but 11,384 in 2014, a 21 percent decline.

"When child care thrives, our communities thrive," Rep. Mary Franson, R-Alexandria said Monday in introducing legislation proposed by the Affordable Child Care Committee she leads.

http://www.bemidjipioneer.com/news/region/3991745-lawmakers-look-retain-child-care-providers