By Jennifer Kotila

KANDIYOHI COUNTY — Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on Wednesday announced $6.2 million in new grants to expand child care across the state, including $500,000 for Kandiyohi County.

The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development has awarded 21 organizations with Child Care Economic Development grants — the state’s largest-ever round of funding for this program. The funding is expected to increase child care program capacity by 2,241 slots throughout the state.

This is good news for Kandiyohi County, which a report from First Children’s Finance shows currently has a need of 1,283 child care slots for birth to school-age, according to Kandiyohi County and City of Willmar Economic Development Commission Business Development Manager Michelle Marotzke.

The EDC applied for $600,000 and learned on May 7 that it was awarded $500,000. It was announced during the EDC’s May 9 Joint Operations Board meeting.

The money is expected to be split between two projects — a nature preschool at the Gary Westby Observatory at Prairie Woods Environmental Learning Center in rural Spicer and four specialized child care units in Atwater, according to Marotzke.

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