Families First of Minnesota

Head start provides community based Child and family development programming for Families living in olmsted, freeborn, and winona counties. Head start focuses on preparing pregnant women and young children from birth to 5 years old, and their Families, for a successful future. Essential information, training and services are provided so parents are able to build a better life for their children and fulfill their role as the primary educator of their children. The ccr&r head start program operates at eleven (11) locations throughout olmsted, freeborn, and winona counties

Child Care Resource & Referral also offers crisis nursery and school readiness. Olmsted county funds the crisis nursery, which is a Child abuse prevention and family support program that provides temporary, short-term Care for children in olmsted county while Families address a crisis situation. School readiness allow children 3 years old to kindergarten in the rochester area to participate in early childhood programs and services that enable them to enter school with the skills and behavior needed for them to progress and flourish.

Child Care aware of mn southern district provides early childhood training, professional development advising, startup, regional, and emergency grants, along with parent aware services to regions 9 and 10 consisting of 20 counties in southern Minnesota. We serve family Child Care programs, Child Care centers, legal non-licensed providers, and preschool programs. Child Care aware of mn southern district offered roughly 174 trainings across 20 counties in 2022. Trainings consist of licensing required health and safety trainings and parent aware knowledge and competency framework based trainings. Twice annually, Child Care aware of mn southern district recruits and provides training for the Minnesota Child development associate. The course is offered over twelve months for a total of 120 hours. In 2022, Child Care aware of mn southern district awarded startup, regional, and emergency grants totaling $176,201 to over 98 programs. Programs were comprised of preschool programs, family Child Care programs, and center based programs. We have also expended $6,750,650 in early learning scholarship awards in 2022.