Building a Better Minnesota Starts with Investing in our Kids

Building a better Minnesota starts with our kids. That is why Governor Dayton’s budget invests $139 million in proven programs that will help Minnesota’s children thrive today and in the future.

Minnesota can help our youngest children thrive by investing in better early education to help narrow the state’s troubling achievement gap, and prepare children for success in school. In Governor Dayton's budget proposal, Early Childhood Education scholarships will help an additional 11,000 Minnesota children from low-income families afford high quality childcare and preschool. The proposed budget also allows for investments in optional All Day Kindergarten, providing access for 85% of Minnesota families—or nearly 54,000 children.

In addition to providing quality early childhood education, it is important to support strong and healthy Minnesota families. Governor Dayton’s budget provides for increased rental assistance to low-income families, ensuring children don’t have to endure a potentially disruptive move during the school year. The Governor’s budget also increases funding for high quality childcare for children with special needs, and streamlines the adoption process to ensure it best serves the interests of Minnesota children.