1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to child care; establishing a grant program for family, friend, and neighbor 
1.3 	child care; appropriating money.
1.4 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.5 	Section 1. FAMILY, FRIEND, AND NEIGHBOR GRANT PROGRAM.
 1.6 		Subdivision 1.Establishment. A family, friend, and neighbor (FFN) grant program is 
1.7 	established to promote children's social emotional learning and healthy development, early 
1.8 	literacy, and school readiness, and to foster community partnerships to promote children's 
1.9 	school readiness. The commissioner of health must make grants available to fund:
1.10 	(1) community health boards, local or regional libraries, community-based organizations, 
1.11 	nonprofit organizations, and Indian tribes working with FFN caregivers under subdivision 
1.12 	2; and
1.13 	(2) community-based partnerships to implement early literacy programs under subdivision 
1.14 	3.
1.15 	The commissioner must attempt to ensure that grants under subdivision 2 and subdivision 
1.16 	3 are made in all areas of the state.
1.17 		Subd. 2.Grants to work with FFN caregivers. (a) Grants awarded by the commissioner 
1.18 	under this paragraph may be used by community health boards, local or regional libraries, 
1.19 	community-based organizations, nonprofit organizations, and Indian tribes working with 
1.20 	FFN caregivers in local communities, cultural communities, and Indian tribes to:
1.21 	(1) provide training, support, and resources to FFN caregivers in order to improve and 
1.22 	promote children's health, safety, nutrition, and school readiness;
2.1 	(2) connect FFN caregivers and children's families with appropriate community resources 
2.2 	that support the families' physical and mental health, and economic and developmental 
2.3 	needs;
2.4 	(3) connect FFN caregivers and children's families to early childhood screening programs 
2.5 	and facilitate referrals where appropriate;
2.6 	(4) provide FFN caregivers and children's families with information about early learning 
2.7 	guidelines from the Departments of Human Services and Education;
2.8 	(5) provide FFN caregivers and children's families with information about becoming a 
2.9 	licensed family child care provider; and
2.10 	(6) provide FFN caregivers and children's families with information about early learning 
2.11 	allowances and enrollment opportunities in high quality, community-based child care and 
2.12 	preschool programs.
2.13 	(b) Grants that the commissioner awards under paragraph (a) also may be used for:
2.14 	(1) social emotional learning, health and safety, and early learning kits for FFN caregivers;
2.15 	(2) play and learn groups with FFN caregivers;
2.16 	(3) culturally appropriate early childhood training for FFN caregivers;
2.17 	(4) transportation for FFN caregivers and children's families to school readiness and 
2.18 	other early childhood training activities;
2.19 	(5) other activities that promote school readiness;
2.20 	(6) data collection and evaluation;
2.21 	(7) staff outreach and outreach activities;
2.22 	(8) translation needs; or
2.23 	(9) administrative costs that equal up to five percent of the recipient's grant award.
2.24 		Subd. 3.Grants for early literacy programs. Grants awarded by the commissioner 
2.25 	under this subdivision must be used to fund existing or new partnerships between community 
2.26 	health boards, local or regional library systems, community-based organizations, nonprofit 
2.27 	organizations, or Indian tribes to implement early literacy programs in low-income 
2.28 	communities, including tribal communities, to:
2.29 	(1) purchase and equip early childhood reading- and math-mobiles that provide FFN 
2.30 	caregivers and children's families with books, training, and early literacy activities;
3.1 	(2) provide FFN caregivers and children's families with translations of early childhood 
3.2 	books, training, and early literacy activities in native languages; or
3.3 	(3) provide FFN caregivers and children's families with early literacy activities in local 
3.4 	libraries.
3.5 		Subd. 4.Grant awards. Interested entities eligible to receive a grant under this section 
3.6 	may apply to the commissioner in a form and manner prescribed by the commissioner. The 
3.7 	commissioner shall award grants to eligible entities consistent with the requirements of this 
3.8 	section.
3.9 		Subd. 5.Evaluation. The commissioner must evaluate the impact of the grants under 
3.10 	subdivisions 2 and 3 on children's school readiness, including, but not limited to, social 
3.11 	emotional learning indicators, and submit a written report to the legislative committees with 
3.12 	jurisdiction over health and human services and education finance and policy by February 
3.13 	1, 2022.

3.14 	Sec. 2. APPROPRIATION; FAMILY, FRIEND, AND NEIGHBOR GRANT 
3.15 	PROGRAM.
 3.16 	$1,000,000 in fiscal year 2021 is appropriated from the general fund to the commissioner 
3.17 	of health for purposes of awarding grants under section 1.