Minnesota Association of Child Care Professionals - MACCP

DCYF recently sent this email regarding the new family child care licensing regulations:
https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNDCYF/bulletins/41aa0dc

Unfortunately, the email confirms many of the concerns MACCP and providers raised while urging lawmakers to remove the family child care section from the bill.

To be clear: the language in the law remains concerning. DCYF’s implementation guidance cannot replace or override statutory language. That is why MACCP will continue working to fix this issue before the new requirements take effect on July 1, 2027.

We are especially concerned by DCYF’s repeated use of “not necessarily” and by statements suggesting that most commercially manufactured play equipment will already meet the new requirements. Family child care homes are not public playgrounds, and providers’ yards are not public spaces. Many providers have safe, expensive, brand-name residential play systems that are not “commercial” equipment and may still have openings that fall within the prohibited ranges.

MACCP has asked DCYF for data showing injuries or safety issues in licensed family child care homes related to these new outdoor equipment requirements. To date, we have not seen evidence demonstrating that these sweeping changes are necessary.

We do not recommend that providers remove or replace equipment at this time. The changes do not take effect until July 1, 2027, and MACCP will continue working to correct the law.

Moreover, MACCP warned that the new regulations would expand parent access beyond what federal law requires and create serious safety risks in family child care homes., and DCYF has now confirmed that concern. DCYF states that parents have “the right to enter the licensed child care space at any time,” even when a provider has safety concerns. DCYF’s claim that this simply “aligns Minnesota with federal language” is a lie. Federal law requires access to the child and the provider caring for the child; it does not require unrestricted access to the licensed child care space.

That distinction matters. Under DCYF’s interpretation, providers would be required to allow access to their home-based child care space even when they have immediate safety concerns, including someone who is drunk, a s*x offender, or acting violent. This puts children and providers at risk; providers should not be forced to choose between complying with licensing rules and protecting the children in their care.

DCYF's email makes one thing clear: our concerns were valid.

This language is still problematic. The implementation uncertainty is still real. And without legislative fixes, these requirements will be harmful for providers, children, and families.

MACCP will continue fighting for practical, clear, and workable regulations that protect children without forcing family child care providers out of business.

Please contact your Minnesota legislators and respectfully share how these regulations will affect you. You can find your legislators here: https://gis.lcc.mn.gov/iMaps/districts

Family child care providers have had an incredibly difficult two weeks.
There have been tears.
There has been anger.
There has been fear.

To every family child care provider feeling that weight right now: you are not alone.

We are deeply sorry that you are being forced to face this.

MACCP warned legislators that if the harmful family child care provisions were not removed this session, there would be no guarantee they would be fixed next year. That is why MACCP fought to have the family child care language removed from the bill until providers’ concerns could be meaningfully addressed.

Unfortunately, that did not happen.

Now, DCYF is moving forward with implementation of a damaging law that will increase costs, liability, paperwork, uncertainty, and regulatory risk.

Many providers will be forced to raise rates substantially. Many others will close.
When that happens:
• Families lose access to care.
• Children lose stable relationships.
• Employers lose workers.
• Communities lose one of their most essential supports.

But this is not the time to give up.
This is the time to get louder.
This is the time to make sure every legislator understands exactly what they passed, exactly what it will do, and exactly who will be harmed if they fail to fix it.

Providers deserve licensing standards that are clear, fair, workable, and focused on real health and safety.
Children deserve safe, stable, relationship-based care.
Families deserve access to affordable options in their own communities.

Minnesota cannot afford to lose more family child care providers.

MACCP is already working on several fronts to secure changes before this law takes effect on July 1, 2027. But we cannot do this alone.

We need providers, parents, grandparents, employers, community leaders, and everyone who depends on family child care to speak up now.

Please take these steps today:
📄 1. Read and share MACCP’s documents.
These explain what is in the law, why it is harmful, and what needs to change.
* View MACCP’s suggested changes to the law: https://tinyurl.com/MACCPredline
* View MACCP’s detailed analysis of the law: https://tinyurl.com/MACCPanalysis

📞 2. Contact your senator and representative.
Tell them family child care providers need their support. Thank those who voted against the bill. Speak with all candidates running for office in your area and find out where they stand on this issue so you can make an informed vote this November.
Find your legislators here: https://gis.lcc.mn.gov/iMaps/districts/

📣 3. Share this post.
Families need to know what is coming. Communities need to know why their child care options are at risk. Legislators need to hear from more than just providers.

🤝 Join MACCP.
Membership is free, and our voices are stronger when we stand together.
Join here: www.maccp.org/membership

We intend to hold accountable the department, lawmakers, and any organization that helped advance language that will eliminate family child care programs across our state.

We hope providers, parents, and communities will do the same.

Because once family child care providers close, they do not come back.

And neither do the options families depend on.

We are not done.
We are not powerless.
And we are not going away.

MACCP President Hollee Saville spoke with Callan Gray from KSTP about family child care modernization and the serious harm these regulatory changes will cause for family child care providers, children, families, and Minnesota’s economy.

Governor Walz signed SF 4612 into law this week. While a few claim this is “relief” because family child care regulations will now be placed in statute, we need to be very clear:

*Harmful regulations do not become helpful simply because they are organized in one place. *

Minnesota has already lost more than 6,500 licensed family child care providers over the last 15 years. Since this bill passed on May 17, we have already lost seven more. More closures are sure to follow unless lawmakers make significant changes before this law takes effect on July 1, 2027.

We continue to work with legislators and others to fix the law before it takes effect.

Governor Walz signs into law regulations for childcare providers This week, Governor Walz signed into law major changes to how family childcare providers are regulated. The full comprehensive set of rules for family childcare providers is now in statute, included in the Omnibus Health and Human Services supplemental appropriations bill.

DCYF sent this email regarding the passage of SF 4612, which Governor Walz signed into law yesterday. The child care licensing modernization sections will go into effect on July 1, 2027.
https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNDCYF/bulletins/41924ec

We are still working with legislators and others to prevent the harm these new statutes will do to family child care providers and the children and families we serve.

We'll keep you updated as much as possible, but please know that we have been working nonstop on this and will continue advocating for our profession. We will share our detailed response to the law and our suggested changes to these regulations tomorrow.

Today, we pause to honor and remember the brave women and men who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country. Please join us in remembering those who have fallen and honoring their memory through our words and actions. 🇺🇸 ❤️🤍💙

We understand how disappointed and concerned you are about the passage of SF 4612. We are, too.

There were very minor changes to the bill that passed last night, but we want to make sure that everyone has access to the correct bill language.

MACCP pulled the family child care section out of the bill to make it easier for you to find: https://tinyurl.com/SF4612final

We also wanted to share information about the next steps for the law and for MACCP/providers.

* The bill was passed by the Minnesota Senate and House.
* It is now awaiting the governor's signature.
* Since the bill included funding for HCMC, federal compliance, and many other proposals the governor supports, he will sign it.
* Once he does, the bill will become law.

After that, DCYF will begin working on an implementation plan where they explain how this bill will be applied in family child care programs.
Historically, these implementation plans have been released in the fall, but this is a huge monstrosity of a law; it could take longer.

MACCP is currently working on an updated analysis of the final language and will share on this page and with members as soon as we complete it.
Not a member? Join for free @ www.MACCP.org.

We are so grateful to everyone who reached out to lawmakers in support of our profession and signed our petition.

You made a difference!!!

* We are NOT done yet.
* We have a long road ahead of us, and we will need your help.
* We will share more information soon.

tinyurl.com

UPDATE:

We're disappointed that it passed the House 108-26. Vote count is in the comments.

Thank you to the 26 representatives who stood up for the family child care profession by voting against the bill. Legislators (several reached out to us) were misled and told that a lot had changed in the conference committee report to improve family child care language, but we haven't seen any improvements in the law that just passed.
***************************
The House is now considering the committee report for SF 4612.

Watch here:

House Live - Minnesota House of Representatives

Here is the Senate vote on SF 4612. Please take the time to thank all the legislators who showed support for the family child care profession by voting against the bill.

UPDATE #3: Unfortunately, SF 4612 passed the Senate on a vote of 35-32. Thank you to the 32 Republican Senators who voted against the bill. Now, the House will consider it.

UPDATE #2: Thank you to Senator Gruenhagen for speaking up for the family child care profession!
Thank you to the 32 Republican Senators who voted against adopting the conference committee report. The committee JUST "met" this evening and passed the report at 7:49pm. It went to the Senate less than 2 hours after passing! Unfortunately, the report was adopted 35-32.

UPDATE #1:
Senator Wiklund just stated that both Child Care Center and Family Child Care Modernization ARE included in the conference committee versions of the bill. We are heartbroken, but we aren't giving up. We only hope that legislators who care about the family child care profession stand firm and vote against SF 4612 unless they remove Article 7.
*****************
The Senate just started discussing SF 4612. Senator Wiklund is going through the agreements made by the conference committee. We are about to hear if Article 7 was removed or kept in. The future of our profession and the stability of child care for Minnesota's children and families is on the line.

Watch here:

Minnesota Senate

🚨 MYTH vs. TRUTH 🚨

Myth: Most of the harmful language was removed from Article 7 in SF 4612.

Truth: Many provisions remain that would dramatically increase costs, paperwork, and micromanagement for ALL family child care providers in Minnesota.

One example involves outdoor play spaces and equipment.

The proposed language (pictured below) would require outdoor play areas to be protected from “traffic and nearby hazards” through:
• A fence or natural or landscaping barrier; OR
• A supervision and safety plan if a fence is not used

This language would require almost every provider to have a fence or barrier because “traffic and nearby hazards” is vague and subjective.
• Any provider without an actual fence will be required to have a supervision and safety plan.
• What happens if a licensor or DCYF doesn’t approve the plan?
• This language doesn’t allow a landscaping barrier without a fence.
• Fences and landscaping barriers are very expensive and not affordable for most family child care providers.

This is one of the dangers of massive regulatory changes: it is impossible to give every section the time and attention necessary to prevent unintended—or sometimes intended—consequences.

The bill also includes equipment restrictions that could affect many existing outdoor play areas, including:
• No openings between 3.5” and 9”
• Guardrails/barriers fully enclosing all platforms 30” or higher
• Assembly, installation, and use according to the manufacturer's guidelines.

Many safe, developmentally appropriate play structures currently used in family child care would no longer meet these standards, including:
• Equipment modified for safety
• Natural play spaces
• Water walls
• Climbers and common playsets

Most playsets have platforms taller than 30”. Their forts/platforms also have openings so children can climb in and out, access slides, and use the equipment as intended.

• How many of you have outdoor areas or equipment that would not meet these new requirements?
• How many could afford to replace a playset or climber…or even find one that meets these restrictions?
• How many could afford to install a new fence or landscaping barrier around your yard?

These changes could mean:
❌ Expensive upgrades
❌ Increased costs for families
❌ Fewer child care options
❌ More providers leaving the profession

Legislators need to see the REAL impact these regulations would have on family child care.

📸 Please share photos in the comments of:
• Your outdoor play areas & equipment that won't meet these requirements
• Safe, modified or homemade outdoor equipment

Please join us in trying to protect our profession by signing and sharing the petition: https://www.change.org/ProtectFamilyChildCare