Senator Tina Smith this morning (915am) in Brooklyn Center kicks off a statewide tour to highlight a growing child care shortage in Minnesota, and the Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities is also asking the legislature to address the problem. Little Falls City Administrator Jon Radermacher says there are a lot of providers, “but when you actually start talking to ’em and calling ’em up, everyone that’s out there has a waiting list, and it can go anywhere from six months to a year to potentially two years.”
Coalition officials say it’s an economic development issue because businesses find it difficult to expand when the work force has child care needs.