2026 Foundations of the Future: Child Care Is Economic Development
Join economic development professionals and community leaders from across Minnesota for a two-day conference focused on one of the most difficult barriers to community growth: access to child care. Learn how to utilize child care as a critical economic development strategy and explore practical, locally driven solutions for communities of all sizes.
Date- October 20-21, 2026
Cost- Free
Hotel & Conference Location
The conference will be held at the Willmar Conference Center. Registered conference attendees receive a reduced hotel rate at the Best Western Plus.
Please note: Hotel reservations are not included with conference registration. Registrants must book their own accommodations separately.
Book your hotel:
Best Western Plus – Conference Rate
Conference venue:
Willmar Conference Center
Session Titles and Descriptions:
Speaker: Alethea Gomez from EPIC
Child care challenges increasingly affect recruitment, retention, productivity, and workforce stability, but employers have more options to respond than simply opening an onsite center. This session will walk through the most common employer child care strategies, from direct employee benefits and community partnerships to facility investments and shared funding models. We will examine potential funding sources, employer outcomes, and practical proof points, with space for discussion about what these approaches could look like for Minnesota employers and communities.
Speaker: Alethea Gomez from EPIC
Reliable child care is essential to a strong workforce—and the federal 45F Employer-Provided Child Care Tax Credit offers businesses a powerful incentive to invest in child care solutions. Join us for an overview of how the tax credit works, recent enhancements that have expanded its value, and the many ways employers can qualify through partnerships, financial support, child care benefits, and other innovative approaches. Learn how employers can strengthen workforce recruitment and retention while taking advantage of valuable federal tax incentives.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
