Minnesota Governor Tim Walz Highlights New Childcare Plan

DULUTH, Minn. — Minnesota Governor Tim Walz came up to Duluth Wednesday to talk about his budget proposals for childcare in the state.

He stopped by the YWCA Spirit Valley Center. With a $17 billion surplus, Walz wants to see the state use the extra money to make childcare more affordable for parents, and also help daycares recruit and retain employees.

Walz says he believes the early childhood development programs in Minnesota need more attention from the state, as there’s always a high demand and low supply of centers.

“We’re going to make childcare much more affordable for families, whether it be in a child tax credit that we’ll issue in the form to families that need it the most. Or the idea of dependent care, which credits up to 10,000 dollars per family to be able if they have three children and they are able to do a direct tax credit with the state of Minnesota. All of those things make childcare more affordable. And then the other side of the coin is making sure we are upping our reimbursement rates in things like CCAP and the investments in facilities just like this,” said Tim Walz, Minnesota Governor.

Governor Walz is confident that the budget proposal they have set for affordable childcare plans will pass the state legislature with minimal changes because the DFL has control of the House and State Senate.