Provider Marty Bragg with
Attorney General Mike Hatch. After three years of cuts to early learning, Minnesota’s waiting list has grown to nearly 5,000 children. SEIU providers made hundreds of phone calls and visits to urge elected officials to invest more in children.

Working together with the early education and advocacy community, providers won improvements from the legislature that will help our kids get the care they need:

• Steps toward more accessible first aid and CPR training for providers
  
  
• $52 million for the next three years to help restore the Child Care Assistance Program, including relief for some of the families on the state waiting list and a 6% reimbursement rate increase for 2006-7 to help providers continue to serve our communities
  
  
• $17 million in new funding for early education programs for the next three years.