MN SF269

Commissioner of human services shall contract with an experienced independent organization or consultant to develop a risk-based model for monitoring family child care licensing compliance, grounded in national regulatory best practices.

Consultant must develop a proposal where violations are weighted based on potential risk to children's health and safety, with licensing sanctions tied to risk levels, ensuring the model is child-centered, family-friendly, and fair to providers.

Consultant shall conduct stakeholder engagement soliciting input from parents, licensed family child care providers, county licensors, Department of Human Services staff, and child development experts on licensing standards, violation tiers, and appropriate sanctions.

Consultant shall identify which family child care providers should be eligible for abbreviated inspections using key indicators developed by the National Association for Regulatory Administration and Research Institute for Key Indicators.

Commissioner must submit a report and proposed legislation to implement the new licensing model to relevant legislative committee chairs by February 1, 2024; $1,500,000 appropriated from the general fund for fiscal year 2022, available until June 30, 2024.