About Us

Mission

Child Care Wayfinder is a one-stop navigation network for starting and growing child care programs. The network is staffed by local navigators at regional Child Care Aware of Minnesota agencies and Minnesota Tribal Resources for Early Childhood Care (MNTRECC). Navigators help people in their communities create, sustain, and expand licensed family child care and center-based programs by offering encouragement, support, and connection to the many resources available for child care programs.

History

The 2021 Minnesota Legislature mandated the creation of Child Care Wayfinder, then referred to as a one-stop assistance network for child care, by directing the Minnesota Department of Human Services to use funds from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 to establish the network. The Child Care One-Stop Regional Assistance Network Plan is available on the Legislative Reference Library’s website. The Child Care Aware of Minnesota system was charged with implementing Child Care Wayfinder.