Greater Mankato Growth, in collaboration with our Regional Economic Development Alliance (REDA) partners, undertook an initiative to address childcare challenges in the region. The need to address childcare concerns has been brought often in recent years by Greater Mankato Growth’s member businesses, our public partners, and residents. Further attention to this growing challenge has been highlighted in local, state, and national media.

To do this, GMG partnered with the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation and Business of Childcare to kick off their “Whole Community Approach” process in order to develop an activation plan that our region can implement to address some of the most pressing concerns.

By hosting listening sessions with business leaders, community leaders, and childcare providers to better understand the challenges and opportunities in the community, Jeff Andrews was able to collect key themes and develop an activation plan that can be implemented in the core Mankato-North Mankato area. The activation plan, outlined below, suggests that establishing a Greater Mankato Area Childcare Association, building and enhancing the childcare workforce pipeline, and launching micro-focus hosted spaces would make a significant impact to our childcare needs at a suggested total community investment of $273,000.

GMG member businesses, nonprofit and community leaders, and childcare providers who are interested in determining the priorities of which steps our community takes and how are invited to attend the “Next Steps Session” virtually on Tuesday, January 14, from 6-7 p.m. If you are interested in attending, please send an email to Jake Rinehart at [email protected].

This process mirrors additional work being undertaken in St. Peter, Eagle Lake, Lake Crystal, and Mapleton and ongoing regional discussions are being scheduled to ensure that this plan continues to meet the needs of those and other surrounding cities.

The Childcare Solutions Activation Plan is outlined in this 42-page report (linked) and is summarized below. For those seeking a more in-depth look at the report without the time to read it in detail, this AI-generated podcast (linked) does an excellent job of describing its contents.

Desired Outcomes Overview

The Childcare Solutions Activation Plan identifies three outcomes to strengthen the childcare system across Mankato, North Mankato, and surrounding communities. These outcomes address critical gaps in access, workforce capacity, and regional coordination while creating targeted solutions to support families, providers, and local employers.

Establishing the Mankato Area Childcare Association

Goal: Develop a regional association to provide centralized support, coordination, and advocacy for childcare providers, families, and stakeholders.

Solution:

The association will serve as a resource hub to streamline provider support, align childcare offerings with community needs, and advance local solutions. Key functions include:

• Community Awareness: Launch targeted campaigns to highlight the economic and social importance of childcare.
• Provider Engagement: Offer technical assistance and resources to strengthen operations and address emerging needs.
• Fundraising and Asset Development: Establish a $50,000 regional fund to support family childcare (FCC) startups and address unmet needs.
• Coordination: Facilitate regional partnerships, host provider events, and align efforts across the childcare landscape.

Build and Enhance the Child Care Workforce Pipeline

Goal: Develop sustainable pathways for recruiting, training, and retaining early childhood professionals to address workforce shortages.

Solution:

This initiative enhances existing programs by aligning with local schools, employers, and training partners. Key areas of focus include:

• Curriculum and Certifications: Provide access to certification programs, such as the CDA credential, and integrate dual-credit opportunities for students.
• Practical Pathways: Partner with childcare providers to offer internships, mentoring, and technical support for new FCC businesses.
• Employer Engagement: Collaborate with employers to align workforce solutions with family needs and promote career opportunities in childcare.

Launch Micro-Focus Hosted Spaces

Goal: Increase childcare capacity through smaller, community-specific family childcare solutions that address geographic and workforce-aligned gaps.

Solution:

Micro-focus hosted spaces will prioritize new FCC providers, offering flexible, localized solutions for families. Key areas of focus include:

• Geographic Alignment: Create hosted spaces in underserved neighborhoods to reduce access barriers.
• Specialized Needs: Develop care solutions aligned with employer schedules, such as flexible care hours and bilingual programming.
• Provider Support: Provide $20,000 start-up grants for new FCC providers, paired with technical assistance and mentorship to ensure sustainability.

Financial Investment Overview

To activate these three outcomes over the next 12 months, targeted investments are required to deliver measurable impact:

1. Establishing the Mankato Area Childcare Association
   

• • Investment: $89,000
  • Includes community awareness campaigns, provider engagement, regional coordination, and the $50,000 regional fund.

2. Build and Enhance the Childcare Workforce Pipeline 
   • Investment: $34,000
   • Covers curriculum enhancements, internships, mentorship stipends, and workforce outreach.

2. Launch Micro-Focus Hosted Spaces
   • Investment: $150,000
   • Supports space identification, start-up grants for FCC providers, and community partnerships.

Total Financial Investment: $273,000

About Greater Mankato Growth

Greater Mankato Growth (GMG) is committed to advancing business for a stronger community. As the Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development organization serving the regional marketplace, GMG advances business through existing business support, new business growth, business promotion, talent development, public affairs, community marketing, visitor attraction and servicing, and civic engagement.