Child Care for Critical Workers
The school-age care for children of critical workers is intended for extreme circumstances in which no parent or guardian is at home, due to employment as a critical worker. Free child care, as mandated by the State of Minnesota, is to be made available when the only parent or both parents in the household are employed as critical workers. Parents requesting to receive this free care will be required to provide qualifying documentation for all parents and guardians. This documentation will include employer, contact information, schedule for all parents/guardians.
Free childcare will only be provided when no parent or guardian is available due to critical worker employment outside of the home. As indicated by the state guidelines, free childcare will not be provided for remote working hours. Parents may elect to enroll in non-qualifying days and will be responsible for payment for those days. Free childcare is only provided for the preset instructional school hours. Parents/guardians will be responsible for all before- and after-school hours on those days.
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Minnesota will assist with the distant educational needs of the youth, but will not be providing instruction during the free childcare time.
Please note the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Minnesota is dependent upon fee-based programs and donations to provide all services, including the childcare program for critical workers. We do not receive funding to provide free childcare.
We will review all applications for free childcare for critical workers and will notify families when they are approved.
Qualifying critical workers:
- Healthcare and public health
- Law enforcement, public safety and first-responders
- Food and agriculture
- Judicial Branch (essential services)
- National Guard (activated under a Governor Executive Order)
- Educators in pre-K through grade 12 settings
- School staff caring for children of critical workers
- Child care and school-age care providers
If you believe you qualify for free child care as mandated by the State of Minnesota, please fill out the form below.
Child Care for critical workers form