In an opinion piece published May 1, Shane Riffle, Brainerd Family YMCA CEO, praised the Crow Wing County Board of Commissioners for their stewardship of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds which came to the county.
Riffle said, “On Jan. 25th, the Crow Wing County board approved grants totaling $800,000 for a list of 25 organizations seeking to expand availability or to start a new child care business. Nearly 200 new child care slots are expected to become available in Crow Wing County thanks to these funds. At the Y, this means more access for working families to our childcare programs and continuing our mission of strengthening the foundation of our community. Because of this funding, the Y along with other child care providers, will be able to provide quality and affordable child care options which allow people to work, businesses to grow, and our community to thrive.”
The ARPA legislation was signed into law in March of 2021 and is unique in the allocation of investments directly to local communities. These once in a generation investments are unlocking key economic development drivers, such as reliable, high-quality childcare.
