Child Care Choices, Inc. History

History of

Child Care Choices

The first program of the agency actually began as a separate entity, The Lending Machine, a toy lending library which incorporated in 1977. This was initially funded through a grant from the Department of Human Services. It served the two county area of Benton and Stearns Counties. In 1978, it merged with the Child Care Coordinating Committee (sometimes called the 4 Cs) to become Central MN Child Care, Inc. (CMCCI). The agency then operated the Lending Machine and conducted training for Family Child Care Providers in Benton and Stearns County. Funding for these trainings came from Benton and Stearns County.

In 1978, CMCCI became a sponsor for the USDA Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) for Benton, Stearns and Sherburne Counties. This program is funded by USDA through the Minnesota Department of Education and is a nutrition program similar to School Lunch, where family child care providers receive reimbursement for meals/snacks that are served along with a strong nutritional training component for all providers. The agency continued operating and growing within the three counties until 1985 when the CACFP expanded substantially, taking on 38 additional counties in northern and central Minnesota.

From 1978 to 1989, the agency was continually growing and developing training for family child care providers and lending support to their professional development. Then in 1989 the agency submitted a proposal to the Minnesota Department of Human Services to operate a Child Care Resource and Referral program in Region 7W, the four county area of Benton, Sherburne, Stearns, and Wright. The program was funded in February of 1990, and the name of the agency was changed to Child Care Choices, Inc. It was felt that this better reflected the mission of the agency and better represented the entire geographic area.

From January 1996 to July 2006 Child Care Choices also operated the Child Care Resource and Referral Program for Region 6E covering the four county area of Kandiyohi, McLeod, Meeker, and Renville.

In July of 2006 our Child Care Resource & Referral (CCR&R) program, funded through the state of MN was restructed and now partners with the Midwest District Child Care Resource & Referral in Montevideo to provide CCR&R services.

Child Care Choices provides Food Program services in 48 counties with approximately 1,200 providers benefiting. The Child Care Resource & Referral program operates in Region 7W serving over 1,500 child care professionals with resources and technical assistance and over 1500 parents annually with referrals and general information regarding child care issues.