The cost of child care can be an overwhelming burden to many families. It can mean a family not being able to have a parent or guardian working outside of the home. It can mean that certain sacrifices may need to be made, such as a meal being skipped or a birthday present not being able to be purchased. 

However, when one looks at the number of hours that a child may be at a caregiver’s home, it many times breaks down to less than $3 per hour, which is substantially below minimum wage in the United States. 

Many families and caregivers may not know there is help out there. Early Learning Scholarships (ELS), offer up to $8,500 per year for children who are three or four years of age, and whose families meet income requirements. Children who fall into a priority area can be awarded up to $12,000 per year. Children under the age of three may also be eligible if they meet one of the following criteria: 

• they attend the same program as their three- or four-year-old sibling that has a scholarship

• their parent is under the age of 21 and seeking a general education requirement (GED) or their high school diploma

• they are in foster care, need child protective services or have experienced housing insecurities in the last 24 months 

Child Care Connections Manager Kelli Rohrer stated, “Scholarships provide support for children to attend a high-quality early learning program as rated through Parent Aware.” 

In addition, Rohrer said, “Many people don’t realize that Early Learning Scholarships can also be used in combination with the Child Care Assistance Program.” 

Income requirements effective July 1, 2022, according to the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE), are as follows:

A family can also satisfy the income requirements if they participate in one of the following programs: Free and Reduced-Price Lunch, Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), food distribution for tribal members, Head Start, Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or Foster Care. 

One regional Minnesota family shared their experience with an early learning scholarship, and they stated, “we will forever be grateful to this scholarship for helping us give our miracle babies a great start to their school experience.”

They continued, “Having two children 14 months apart, the cost of preschool was daunting. A co-worker told me that we should apply for this early learning scholarship. I thought it was certainly worth a try. When our son was approved for the scholarship, we breathed a sigh of relief. This was our goal, to give our children the ability to thrive. And because of the scholarship, this goal was achieved without the financial stress that we would have had without it. This year we applied for both our son and daughter and were approved.” 

Early Learning Scholarships can only be utilized at a Parent Aware rated program. So how can an early childhood educator pursue this opportunity? 

Alicia Bauman, Northwest District Parent Aware Recruiter, stated, “You need to have a license in good standing with the Department of Human Services (DHS) and be actively caring for at least one child.” 

“We all know there are a ton of grants out there to help providers. But this is one opportunity for the children. One opportunity to make a difference for families, and in communities,” Bauman said. “As a former licensed child care educator, and Three-Star Parent Aware Rated program, I’ve seen firsthand, how impactful this program can be.” 

She continued, “In the field of early childhood, you go into it because you ultimately love kids and want them to succeed throughout life. And that is exactly what this program is all about.”  

According to MDE, the State of Minnesota is committed to ensuring all children enter kindergarten ready to succeed, no matter their race or ZIP code, by increasing access to high-quality early childhood programs. 

Families can request an Early Learning Scholarship application by reaching out to  els@caplp.org or calling 218.512.1592.

Families can find a Parent Aware Rated educator at www.parentaware.org. 

Licensed family childcare educators and centers can become a Parent Aware Rated program, by calling Alicia at 218.979.0783 or emailing aliciab@caplp.org to learn more about their options.