Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan announced an expansion of child care benefits for military families in Minnesota at a press conference today.
The new initiative, launched by the Department of Defense, will increase access to child care options and reduce costs for military families by up to $1,800 per child per month.
“Minnesota’s military families make tremendous sacrifices for our state and country,” said Governor Walz. “These families deserve affordable, reliable child care that provides flexibility for work, doctor’s appointments, and managing everyday life. By expanding options and lowering expenses, we are showing our military families that we support them.”
The expansion comes through the Military Child Care in Your Neighborhood-PLUS (MCCYN-PLUS) fee assistance program.
It will now include state-rated child care providers for eligible military families when on-base care is unavailable.
The program is funded and operated by the DoD, which will pay benefits directly to qualifying providers.