Session titles and Descriptions:

From Benefit to Business Strategy: Employer Investment in Child Care

The Business Case for Child Care: Maximizing the 45F Employer Tax Credit

The Child Care Funding Puzzle: Revenue Beyond Tuition

Tuition is only one piece of a child care program’s financial picture. Join this session to learn about the wide range of funding sources that support child care businesses, from family payments and public assistance programs to grants, food reimbursements, employer investments, and community partnerships. Gain a better understanding of how providers build sustainable budgets and why diversified revenue is often essential for long-term success.

Making the Investment: Creative Funding Solutions for Child Care

Finding sustainable funding for child care is a challenge communities across Minnesota are tackling in creative ways. This session highlights real-world approaches to securing and developing resources to support local child care—from financing new and expanded facilities to creating community funds and leveraging public, private, philanthropic, and other funding sources. Panelists will share how they identified opportunities, brought partners to the table, combined multiple funding streams, and turned local needs into investable solutions. Leave with practical ideas for finding, building, and leveraging resources to strengthen child care in your own community.

Business is Stepping Up: Innovative Employer Partnerships Supporting Child Care

Employer support for child care can take many forms—and it doesn’t always mean building a child care center. This session showcases practical, innovative partnerships between employers and child care providers, demonstrating how businesses are leveraging their resources, facilities, expertise, and community leadership to help address local child care challenges. Leave with ideas and inspiration for engaging employers as meaningful partners in your community’s child care strategy.

Beyond Business Retention: Using the Child Care BR&E Toolkit to Strengthen Your Community

Child care is one of the most important businesses in any community—but it has rarely been included in traditional Business Retention & Expansion (BR&E) efforts. This session introduces the Child Care BR&E Toolkit, designed specifically to help economic development professionals engage local child care businesses, identify challenges before they become crises, and connect providers with resources that support long-term sustainability. Learn how this adaptable toolkit can help your community strengthen an essential part of its workforce infrastructure while building stronger relationships with local child care providers.

Beyond the Plan: Creating Lasting Community Impact

The end of a planning process should be the beginning of long-term community action. Learn how communities are transforming their RCCIP, SSP or Community Consultation work into sustainable coalitions, implementation teams, and lasting partnerships that continue

advancing child care solutions. Panelists will share what’s worked, what they’ve learned, and how they’ve overcome common barriers to sustaining engagement and achieving results.

Growing Family Child Care: Community Partnerships That Make a Difference

Family child care plays a vital role in meeting the diverse child care needs of families, yet providers often face unique barriers to starting, expanding, and sustaining their businesses. Across the state, employers, communities, counties, and local organizations are stepping up with creative solutions—from financial incentives and start-up assistance to shared spaces, business partnerships, and innovative support programs. Hear real-world examples of how communities are strengthening family child care and leave with practical ideas that can be adapted to your own community.

Child Care Systems 101: Understanding the Agencies Behind Child Care

Developing or expanding child care often means navigating a complex network of state and local agencies—each with its own role, requirements, and expertise. From licensing and fire safety to food programs, public health, zoning, and building codes, understanding who does what can help communities and providers avoid common pitfalls and move projects forward more efficiently. This session provides a practical overview of the key systems involved in child care and explains how they work together throughout the life of a child care program.

Child Care as Economic Development: The Role of Local Government

Child care is more than a family issue—it’s essential infrastructure that supports workforce participation, business growth, and long-term community vitality. Yet many local governments are unsure what role they can or should play. This session explores why cities, counties, and economic development organizations are increasingly investing in child care and highlights practical ways local governments can support, strengthen, and expand child care businesses. Attendees will leave with a better understanding of the economic impact of child care, examples of successful community partnerships, and actionable ideas they can bring back to their own communities.