Jill Biden visits Minnesota to recognize childcare investments

(FOX 9) - The First Lady made a stop in Minnesota today to tout the country's investments in childcare.

Dr. Jill Biden was joined by Governor Tim Walz and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra during a visit to the University of Minnesota that highlighted investments in child care through the American Rescue Plan.

Although billions of dollars in funding have helped states like Minnesota keep childcare providers open and boost pay for workers during the pandemic, Biden says there's still more work to be done.

"When we invest in childcare, we invest in families and educating our youngest Minnesotans, and we support our workforce and economy, and so much more," said Gov. Walz in a statement. "I was thrilled to have the First Lady in Minnesota to continue these important discussions at a local and national level and highlight the strong commitments Minnesota has made to child care throughout the pandemic." 

More than 130,000 childcare providers across the country have received federal funding to date.  

Last year Minnesota received $537 million in childcare funding from the American Rescue Plan, which has gone toward making childcare affordable and accessible for Minnesota families, supporting providers with increased costs due to the pandemic, helping individuals obtain the professional development they need to enter and stay in the child care field, and helping providers stabilize their businesses. 

The Walz-Flanagan Budget to Move Minnesota Forward proposes an additional $2.6 billion investment in early childhood over the next three years, including a nearly $1.8 billion investment in a mixed delivery childcare and early education system for Minnesota families through increased Pre-K, Head Start and early learning scholarships.