St. Cloud-Area Reps Back Creation of State Ombudsperson for Child Care Providers

(KNSI) – Two St. Cloud-area representatives have introduced a bill in the Minnesota House that would create an office that would help child care providers with state rules and requirements.

Area Republican Reps. Lisa Demuth and Tama Theis, along with five other legislators, introduced H.F. 61 during the new legislative session. If passed, the bill instructs that the governor “shall appoint an ombudsperson in the classified service to assist child care providers, including family child care providers and legal nonlicensed child care providers, with licensing, compliance, and other issues facing child care providers.”

The creation of the Office of Ombudsperson for Child Care Providers is among many recommendations from the Family Child Care Task Force, of which Demuth is a member.

Demuth first presented this policy in 2019. This year, there is support in the Minnesota Senate for the initiative.