As the CEO of the Brainerd Family YMCA, I would like to thank the Crow Wing County Board of Commissioners for allocating American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to child care services in the county, including to the Y.
The ARPA was signed by President Biden in March 2021, and provides for the distribution of federal fiscal recovery funding to states, tribal governments, metropolitan cities, counties, and non-entitlement units of local governments, which generally have populations below 50,000.
On Jan. 25, the Crow Wing County Board approved grants totaling $800,000 for a list of 25 organizations seeking to expand availability or to start a new child care business. Nearly 200 new child care slots are expected to become available in Crow Wing County thanks to these funds.
At the Y, this means more access for working families to our child care programs and continuing our mission of strengthening the foundation of our community.
Because of this funding, the Y - along with other child care providers - will be able to provide quality and affordable child care options that allow people to work, businesses to grow and our community to thrive.
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I am grateful to the Crow Wing County Board for being good stewards of the American Rescue Plan Act funding at this critical time. Allocating these resources for critical child care resources reflects our community’s values of helping our neighbors.
Shane Riffle,
Brainerd Family YMCA CEO
