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    Great Start Compensation Support Payments

    The Great Start Compensation Support Payment Program was signed into law in May 2023 (Minnesota Statute, chapter 119B.27), providing Minnesota with a permanent program designed to support the child care industry and child care educators.

    ​Great Start Compensation Support Payments are available to all eligible providers on a monthly basis. Visit the Great Start Compensation Support Payment Program Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) page for more information. 

    Resources and Communication

    If you need assistance in a language other than English, please use the resources below. 

    Child Care Aware of Minnesota  can connect you to Language Line Services for languages other than English, Hmong, Somali and Spanish. 

    Child Care Aware of Minnesota can be reached by phone at 651-290-9704 or by email at supportfunds@childcareawaremn.org.

    Great Start Compensation Support Payments webinars

    The department hosted three Compensation Support Payment informational webinars. Please see below for links to the presentations and recordings for each provider type.

    Great Start Compensation Support Payment eligibility

    This program is open to eligible licensed family child care providers, licensed centers, certified centers and Tribally licensed providers. Please refer to the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) page for full details. 

    To be eligible for Great Start Compensation Support Payments, providers must be:  

    • Licensed or certified by the State of Minnesota or a Tribal Nation
    • In good standing with the State of Minnesota or a Tribal Nation for at least five calendar days during the funding period
    • Be open, operating and serving children for at least five calendar days during the funding period and 
    • Serve a minimum number of children for at least five calendar days during the funding period 

    In addition, there are other requirements specific to the type of program that are described below. 

    Great Start Compensation Support Payment application and process

    Since October 2023, eligible providers have received a monthly email with application information and a link to a personalized application. 

    Examples of Compensation Support Payment applications are posted below. 

    If you cannot find the email with your personalized application link, you can request an individualized Compensation Support Payment application link on the Compensation Support Payment lookup webpage. This webpage is only available during application periods, which are the 10th - 23rd of each month. 

    Upcoming transitions and timelines

    Great Start Compensation Application 

    • June 2024: 
      • A small pilot group of certified and licensed centers was granted access to submit their application in the Provider Hub. All other providers continued to apply as usual through the existing email-based application process. 
    • July 2024: 
      • All certified and licensed centers were granted access to submit their application in the Provider Hub. All licensed family child care and Tribally licensed providers continued to apply through the existing email-based application process. 
    • In the future: 
      • State licensed family child care providers will begin accessing and submitting their application in the Provider Hub. 
      • DCFY will continue working with Tribal Nations to determine how Tribally licensed providers will apply for funding going forward. 
      • Updates will be shared regarding the timing of this transition that allows ample time for providers to prepare for the shift. 
    Use of Funds Report 
    By accepting Great Start Compensation payments, providers agree to document how they used Great Start Compensation funds and share this information with the State. DCYF is building a Use of Funds Report to collect information on how Great Start Compensation recipients are using funds and the impact of those funds. This report is required and will be submitted once each year. 
    Providers can prepare for the report by reviewing the report examples above and using the free and optional Use of Funds tools shown in FAQ 4.21. 
     
    Timeline for access to Use of Funds Reports in the Provider Hub:
    • April 2025:
      • Certified and licensed centers who first accepted Great Start Compensation funding in October 2023 will be given access to their Use of Funds Report. 
    • May 2025:
      • Certified and licensed centers who first accepted Great Start Compensation funding after October 2023 will be given access on a monthly rolling basis to their Use of Funds Report.
    • In the future:
      • In late spring 2025, licensed family child care providers and providers licensed by a Tribal Nation will be given access to their Use of Funds Report through an e-mail based reporting process. 
    Enrollment and Attendance

    • July 2024:
      • An optional Enrollment & Attendance feature will become available in the Provider Hub that providers can use as an enrollment and attendance management tool. The Enrollment & Attendance feature allows for direct, manual entry of enrollment and attendance information by providers and offers an option for parents/trusted adults to check in and check out their children through use of a kiosk. 
        • At this time, the enrollment and attendance functionalities will be available for centers certified or licensed by the state. Licensed family child care providers will gain access to these tools when they are added to the Provider Hub. 
    • In the future: 
      • All providers will be required to submit detailed enrollment and attendance data as part of their monthly Great Start Compensation application. Updates will be shared regarding the timing of this transition that allows ample time for providers to prepare. 

    Great Start Compensation Support Payments requirements

    Providers who accept Compensation Support Payment funds must agree to meet the following requirements during the funding period:

    Programs that accept Great Start Compensation Support Payment funds must agree to NOT:

    • Use these funds to pay taxes (other than payroll taxes, which are allowed). 
    • Use these funds for items that have already been paid for by other public funding 

    Providers accepting these funds must ensure the funds are not used to pay for any allowable use that has already been paid for with other federal, state, Tribal or local public funds. Examples of other funding sources may include Peacetime Emergency Child Care Grants, COVID-19 Public Health Support Funds for Child Care Grants, Child Care Stabilization Grant Program funds, forgiven Paycheck Protection Program loans, Child Care Aware Regional Grants, and others. Compensation Support Payments funds are intended to cover additional allowable costs that are not covered by other support programs. If you are uncertain whether the source of funding from other support programs is public, you should verify with the organization that provided that support. 

    Allowable uses of funds

    Programs may use the Great Start Compensation Support Payment funds for one or more of the following options based on provider type.

    Great Start Compensation payment amounts

    Compensation Support Payment award amounts are determined by the number of full-time equivalent staff who regularly care for children in the program, including sole family child care providers and independent contractors. "Regularly cares for children" is defined as paid staff whose job description or responsibilities include interacting with, caring for and supervising children enrolled in the program. Providers who work more than 32 hours per week can count for up to two (2.0) full-time equivalents.  

    Providers are eligible for a 10% increase to their Great Start Compensation payment if they have one or more of the following criteria:   

    • Have provided care during AND were paid out during the 10% bonus lookback period for service provided during the lookback period through the Child Care Assistance Program, 
    • Have provided care during AND were paid out during the 10% bonus lookback period for service provided during the lookback period through Early Learning Scholarship payments 
    • Are located in a Child Care Access Equity Area (for more information, see section 7 on the Frequently Asked Questions FAQ page.)  

    Below is a table of award amounts by Compensation Support round.

    Compensation Support Payments formula

    Compensation Support Payments are calculated based on the number of full-time equivalent (FTE) staff, both full- and part-time, who regularly care for children in the program. One FTE is a staff member who works 32 hours per week. A staff member who works more than 32 hours per week can count as two FTEs; two FTEs would equal 64 hours worked per week. Compensation Support Payments are calculated by multiplying the per FTE amount, listed in the table above, by the total number of FTEs working in a program.

    Questions

    For more information visit the Compensation Support Payments Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page. 

    If you have questions that weren't answered on this page or the FAQ page, please contact Child Care Aware of Minnesota at 651-290-9704 or supportfunds@childcareawaremn.org

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