Bill > HF1499

This bill modifies the process for developing updated family child care licensing standards and a new compliance monitoring model in Minnesota. The bill shifts responsibility from the Department of Human Services to the Department of Children, Youth, and Families, and requires hiring an independent consultant (not the National Association for Regulatory Administration) to lead the work. The consultant must develop proposed licensing standards that prioritize children's health and safety while being family-friendly, and create a risk-based monitoring model where licensing violations are weighted based on their potential harm to children. The bill mandates extensive stakeholder engagement, including working groups with licensed family child care providers, and requires input from parents, providers, county licensors, and child development experts. The consultant must solicit feedback on abbreviated inspections and potential compliance indicators. The bill extends the timeline for submitting proposed legislation to February 2026 and requires that all documents and reports be available in multiple languages, including Hmong, Korean, Russian, Somali, Spanish, and Vietnamese. Importantly, the new licensing standards and monitoring model cannot be implemented before January 1, 2027, allowing time for careful development and stakeholder input.

Education

https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=House&f=HF1499&ssn=0&y=2025