Committee considers bill to expand access to MN school-age care programs

School-based child care programs provide care and education for children before and after school, offering opportunities for social, emotional, physical, and intellectual development.

Sponsored by Rep. Laurie Pryor (DFL-Minnetonka), HF3485 would increase the age range of children served by school-age care programs to include students with a disability in prekindergarten programs through eighth grade, and increase funding for school-age care programs.

The bill was laid over Thursday by the House Early Childhood Finance and Policy Committee for possible omnibus bill inclusion. Its companion, SF3488, sponsored by Sen. Steve Cwodzinski (DFL-Eden Prairie), awaits action by the Senate Education Finance and Policy Committee.

Rep. Laurie Pryor

“Early intervention is the most effective intervention,” Pryor said, referring to potential benefits youth ages 3-4, particularly those with special needs, would have in prekindergarten school-care programs. Parents with children in middle schools would also benefit with extended day care programs, she said.

The ongoing pandemic highlights the problems for families with children with special needs. These are unmet needs that the state ought to fulfill, Pryor said.

“The demand for child care beyond the pre-school instructional day is growing rapidly,” said Shawn Hoffman-Bram, director of community education at Eden Prairie Schools. “And, since 2018, Eden Prairie has experienced about 400% growth in demand for child care beyond pre-school. This is very similar to what my colleagues are experiencing in neighboring districts.”

The proposed changes would help reduce disruptions, provide stability to children, and lessen staff anxiety, Hoffman-Bram said. Her district has special education paraprofessionals to take care of children with special needs and calls on outside therapists if needed. But the district would like more training support for educators going forward.

Eden Prairie looked at providing a similar program based on fee, but that would have priced out families, Hoffman-Bram said. Including seventh and eighth graders in the program would soothe the frayed nerves of many parents.

Some parents are not comfortable leaving their children alone at home for safety reasons, she said. The bill would be a boon for working parents and parents attending school.

Programs are primarily funded through user fees based on family income. To further help with costs, the bill would increase the school-age care program’s equalizing factor from $2,318 to $15,747, thereby increasing program revenue via state aid. According to the nonpartisan House Research Department, “under current law, the statutory equalizing factor is set so low that only one school district has a tax base low enough to qualify for state aid.”