Child care is not a Republican issue. It is not a Democratic issue. It is not an independent issue.
It is an economic necessity.
No matter how we vote, we go to work, we raise families, and we rely on someone to help care for our children. Families from every political background depend on child care just as they depend on public schools. It is the quiet infrastructure that allows nurses to staff hospitals, construction crews to build homes, teachers to educate students, and small businesses to open their doors each morning.
Without a stable child care system, Minnesota’s economy would not function.
So why does child care funding continue to fall along partisan lines?
Time and again, providers open their doors to elected officials. Lawmakers tour our centers. They shake our hands. They praise the dedication of those caring for children. They acknowledge how fragile the industry is. And then they leave without a concrete plan to strengthen or sustain it.
I invited several local representatives to my center so they could see firsthand how the Child Care Assistance Program works and how carefully it is monitored. A representative from U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber’s office attended, but not the Hermantown Republican himself. No clear answers were offered about how to address funding freezes or combat harmful narratives about fraud. Other local Republican officials declined the invitation.
Meanwhile, public rhetoric continues to suggest widespread abuse within the system. Anyone who actually works in child care knows how difficult it would be to commit fraud under the Child Care Assistance Program. The oversight is significant. The documentation requirements are extensive. The idea that providers are exploiting the system is not only misleading, it is deeply damaging to an already strained workforce.
Providers are not babysitters. Most of us hold college degrees. We complete ongoing training and continuing education. We comply with licensing requirements, safety standards, inspections, and curriculum expectations. And yet many of us earn low wages, receive few benefits, and work long hours — often while raising our own children.
Child care is funded through a fragile patchwork: private-pay families, Child Care Assistance Program reimbursements, grants, and, most significantly, the personal sacrifice of providers. The truth is that many of us subsidize child care with our own time, income, and well-being to keep our doors open.
Jessi Anttila is the owner and CEO of Young Minds Learning Center in Duluth.