First Children's Finance - Minnesota

09/25/2026

🎉 Registration is NOW OPEN for the 2026 Foundations of the Future Conference!

Child Care Is Economic Development.

Join us October 20–21 in Willmar, MN to explore how communities are addressing child care as a critical part of workforce, community, and economic development.

Who should attend?
This conference is designed for economic development professionals, local government and elected leaders, employers, chambers, funders, workforce partners, community organizations, and others working on community-level child care solutions.

Attendees will hear real-world examples of communities building partnerships, leveraging creative funding and local resources, supporting child care growth and sustainability, and turning planning into action.

📅 October 20–21, 2026
📍 Willmar Conference Center
🎟️ Early Bird: $30 through October 2 | $40 after
👉 Register here: https://firstchildrensfinancesandbox.tfaforms.net/365

Please note: This is not a child care provider training or professional development conference. No Develop/MNCPD continuing education credit or training hours will be offered for attendance.

09/21/2026

The application portal for Minnesota Access to Technology Grants is now open! Visit our website for more information and to start your application. Applications must be submitted by Friday, September 25 at 4:59pm.

First Children’s Finance is pleased to offer MN Access to Technology Grants! This program, funded by the State of Minnesota Department of Children, Youth and Families, will help licensed child care businesses access technology to improve business management efficiency. Grant rounds will be availab...

08/27/2026

Running a child care program comes with a lot of moving parts. The right technology can help make some of those tasks a little easier!

Join First Children’s Finance on September 30 to explore Brightwheel, Lillio, and Google Workspace and see how they can support your child care business.

📅 September 30, 2026
⏰ 6:30-8:30 PM
💻 Virtual via Zoom

Family child care providers and child care center directors are welcome!

Register here: https://firstchildrensfinancesandbox.tfaforms.net/wfYrDxK?uid=005VX000007PPvH

08/21/2026

It's Back to School season, which means it's also time for us to offer our Business Trainings for child care entrepreneurs!

We are pleased to announce that registration for our virtual Fall training calendar is now open. Please share with the child care providers in your community.

Visit our website for more information and registration links:
https://www.firstchildrensfinance.org/for-businesses/training/

08/20/2026

Registration is now open for our fall Business Leadership Cohorts! We invite Family Child Care entrepreneurs and Center Directors to our cohort program. Please share with child care providers in your community!

Session dates for Family Providers:
Mondays
6:30 - 8:30pm
9/28
10/12
10/26
11/9
Develop Event ID: 462976

Session dates for Center Directors:
Mondays
1-4pm
10/5
10/19
11/2
11/16
Develop Event ID: 462978

For more information and registration, please visit our website:
https://www.firstchildrensfinance.org/for-businesses/training/

06/18/2026

Minnesota's child care challenges continue to impact families, employers, and communities across the state.

If you'd like to learn more about the data presented on May 13, 2026, including trends in child care supply, provider closures, and workforce impacts, we encourage you to read this article from the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis.

Read more:

But the share of providers with worsening financial conditions isn’t growing, survey shows

05/12/2026

On May 7, 2026, 45 child care providers serving Fillmore County gathered for the Rural Child Care Innovation Program (RCCIP) Provider Appreciation Event. Together, these providers represent an incredible 495 years of service to children and families in the county.
The evening provided an opportunity to share more about the RCCIP process, recognize the important work providers do every day, and gather valuable feedback to help shape future child care efforts in Fillmore County.
We are deeply grateful for the dedication, experience, and insight these providers bring to Fillmore County families and communities each and every day.

05/12/2026

For our final online training of the spring, we are hosting Injecting Quality into your Family Child Care Business. Stay tuned to our website for other opportunities to work with FCF over the summer!
https://www.firstchildrensfinance.org/minnesota/

Tuesday, May 19th at 6:30pm
Registration:
https://firstchildrensfinancesandbox.tfaforms.net/wfpZAVK?uid=0053t00000BJrQUAA1

05/06/2026

We are inviting Family Child Care entrepreneurs to the second offering of our Great Start Compensation Support Payment Program training next week. Find out if this program can work for your business. If you're already using it, bring your questions!

Wednesday, May 13th at 6:30pm
Develop ID: 451814
Register here: https://firstchildrensfinancesandbox.tfaforms.net/wf5ELwY?uid=0053t00000BJrQUAA1