Representative Jenifer Loon, chair of the Minnesota legislature’s E-12 Conference Committee, called a press conference Monday…
to advocate for early childhood scholarships. Her bill gives preference to our target population: children birth-2 who are homeless, in child protection or in foster care.
At the event Speaker Kurt Daudt said “If we only spend money on one thing, this is the priority”.
The original scholarship request was $105 million annually, including $27.8 million for our target group. But the Senate proposed zero funding and the current House recommendation is just $12.3 million.
However Loon’s public stand suggests that House leaders are negotiating internally and with the Senate to increase this allocation, and demonstrates their intention to focus resources on the most vulnerable children at the most critical point in their development.