BRAINERD — As many as 17,000 children and their families in central Minnesota lack access to child care, almost matching the rest of rural Minnesota combined.
This was one fact relayed Tuesday, Jan. 10, to U.S. Sen. Tina Smith, who stopped in Brainerd to applaud the Brainerd Family YMCA’s efforts to make a dent in that shortage. The senator’s visit comes after she and Sen. Amy Klobuchar announced $600,000 in Congressionally Designated Spending for the YMCA, which is aiming to open a new day care center within the year. Read more.