WILLMAR — It was a rush for the Kandiyohi County and city of Willmar Economic Development Commission to pull together a grant application due last week for up to $600,000 to go toward two unique child care projects in Kandiyohi County.
Aaron Backman, executive director the EDC, said his office found out about the opportunity only a few weeks ago.
Backman told the Kandiyohi County Board at its meeting March 5 — just one week before the deadline — that he normally would try to submit an application much earlier, "but we only got instructions in the middle of February."
Backman attended the meeting to request $70,000 from the county's American Rescue Plan Act coronavirus relief allocation to help go toward the 50% match for the grant required by the Department of Employment and Economic Development, which is overseeing the Childcare Economic Development Grant. The match can be met either with money or in-kind assistance.
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"I think we should pursue this, this is my recommendation," Backman said.
The County Board approved the American Rescue Plan Act funding on a 3-to-1 vote, after hearing Backman's presentation and having a discussion about the request. Commissioner Roger Imdieke voted against the measure and Commissioner Dale Anderson was absent.
"I think this is clearly one of the most critical needs we can impact," said Commissioner Steve Gardner.
The two projects that are set to benefit from the grant if it is awarded are a nature-based preschool, which will be licensed as a child care center at the Prairie Woods Environmental Learning Center and a child care pod system in Atwater.
"We are trying to expand child care in our county," Backman, said and New London and Atwater have the greatest need for more slots in the county, only behind Willmar.
The proposed preschool at the Prairie Woods Environmental Learning Center in rural Spicer could enroll up to 20 preschoolers and bring on approximately four new staff members. It would be based in the Westby Observatory, which would be remodeled to meet the needs of the new use. Those upgrades would be partially funded by the American Rescue Plan Act money from Kandiyohi County.
"They would offer curriculum that uses nature as a catalyst for education," Backman said. "This program would offer unique opportunities for children to learn in a nature-based environment."
The Atwater project would see the former Developmental Achievement Center building renovated to include four one-bedroom-styled apartments that will be used as specialized family child care spaces, each one holding up to 10 children of various ages.
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The owner of the building, Ryan Walsh, also plans to construct two to four apartments designed for senior living in the same building.
"This design will open the doors to intergenerational programming, another unique option for us," Backman said.
For the grant match, Backman is hopeful the value of the building in Atwater will count as an in-kind match. Additional funding, either cash or in-kind, will need to be found to meet the 50 percent threshold the grant program requires.
Prior to approving the $70,000 request from the EDC, Kandiyohi County had about $128,758 left of its $8 million American Rescue Plan Act allocation. The vast majority of the funds have been allocated to broadband projects, but the county has also used significant funds on child care and other issues.
In 2022 the County Board provided $150,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds for a DEED child care grant.
The county and the EDC ended up being awarded $200,000 from DEED and funded six different child care initiatives. They included a forgivable loan fund, a mentorship program, mental health assistance, transportation, training and language accommodations. The loan program used about 80 percent of the funding.
"That benefited 34 providers," Backman said, and at times even helped them add a few additional spots for children. "We need those, I will take those."
There were some misgivings from the County Board about having to approve handing over a significant portion of its remaining American Rescue Plan Act money based only on a few minutes of presentation.
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Imdieke was also uncomfortable spending $70,000 on a grant that would benefit only two projects. Imdieke made a motion to approve only $40,000 for the grant, but the motion died due to a lack of a second.
Backman said there was no guarantee another child care grant opportunity would come forward before the deadline to allocate all of the American Rescue Plan Act funds, which is the end of this year.
These two child care projects were chosen for the DEED grant because they were the most shovel-ready of the child care projects in the works across the county.
"I am trying to position us to have the strongest application possible," Backman said. "I want us to have successful grant applications."
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