Barriers to Breakthrough: A Better Future for Child Care Licensing and Quality in Minnesota

recommendations for a stronger, more equitable early care and education system

For years, Minnesota has felt stuck when it comes to child care licensing, quality recognition, and the overall early care and education system. Programs, families, and partners have been asking for clearer, more workable solutions that keep children safe and help quality care thrive.

Over the past year, Think Small has led the WeVision Minnesota initiative to explore what a new approach could look like. Building on the WeVision EarlyEd model, this community‑driven effort brought together nearly 40 leaders in three workgroups, alongside a robust engagement process with families and providers across the state, to develop breakthrough recommendations for Minnesota’s early care and education system.

On this page, you’ll find:

The WeVision Minnesota report with recommendations
Registration links for three online sessions to engage with a brief presentation and time for Q&A
Printed materials to download, including information on the background and process and a one-page overview

Explore Recommendations

Read or Download Report Recommendations

Read or Download Report Background and Process

Read or Download Effective Early Care and Education Information Sheet

Join an Online Session

Learn about and engage with findings and recommendations through one of three online sessions. (Pick one date to attend.)

Friday, January 30 | 1:00 – 2:30 p.m

Tuesday, February 3 | 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, February 11 | 10:00 – 11:30 a.m.

At each session, you can expect:

A first look at breakthrough recommendations
A clear, plain‑language overview of proposed changes to governance, regulations, quality recognition, and supports
Insight into how nearly 40 leaders and a broad community engagement effort shaped these recommendations
Time to react, ask questions, and offer input that will inform next steps
Ways to plug into a growing effort to champion these recommendations in policy and practice

Why This Matters

Minnesota’s child care licensing and quality recognition systems are complex and hard to navigate. Families struggle to find and keep care that fits their needs, and educators face rules that are confusing and burdensome.

For years, programs, families, and partners have been asking for clearer, more workable solutions that keep children safe, honor educators’ expertise, and help quality care thrive in every community.

The WeVision Minnesota recommendations are designed to move the state beyond decades of gridlock toward practical changes that make the system easier to understand, easier to use, and more supportive for those closest to children’s daily lives.

About WeVision Minnesota

WeVision Minnesota is a six‑month, community‑driven effort within a broader year‑long exploration of how the WeVision EarlyEd model could inform a better future for early care and education in Minnesota.

The work brought together:

Nearly 40 leaders in three workgroups, including system‑level experts and leaders from licensed family child care and child care centers
A robust engagement process with parents and families, people in Tribally licensed settings, those working with family, friend, and neighbor caregivers, and others across the field

Together, they developed recommendations to:

Realign how early care and education is overseen
Right‑size child care regulations
Shift to an industry‑led way of recognizing quality
Better connect supports for programs and educators

All in line with the goals of the Great Start Task Force.

Stay Connected

We remain committed to this work and look forward to learning alongside families, educators, and partners as the recommendations move forward. Questions or comments? Please contact Dr. Nicole Smerillo, Think Small Director of Data, Research, and Policy, at nsmerillo@thinksmall.org. To keep up to date, sign up for our policy updates and Think Small news and follow us on social media!