State Officials Visit Rice County Early Childhood Support Sites

August 19, 2025

Officials from the Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) visited multiple early childhood and family support sites in Rice County on Aug. 12 to hear directly from providers, district staff, and community partners – including Healthy Community Initiative – about the challenges and opportunities they are navigating.

From left: Isabel Llamas Hernandez, an early learning specialist with HCI’s Growing Up Healthy program; Kelsey Duffy, HCI Network Impact Coordinator for Growing Up Healthy and Ready for Kindergarten; Dianne Haulcy, DCYF Assistant Commissioner; Jenny Moses, Children’s Cabinet Manager with the Office of the Governor; Randy Keys, DCYF Inspector General; and Rebecca Aurelious, DCYF Communications Specialist.

The tour included stops at a special childcare license provider site located within the Northfield Community Resource Center; a special license provider pod that’s in development in Faribault; and the Roosevelt Early Learning Center in Faribault, home to all of the school district’s pre-K and kindergarten students and staff.

Jenny Moses, Children’s Cabinet Manager with the Office of the Governor, talks with children enrolled at a childcare site located within the Northfield Community Resource Center.

The state officials also participated in discussions about key issues facing local providers, including supporting children with special needs; improving public awareness of early childhood options; and ensuring rural communities aren’t left behind when it comes to early childcare staffing, infrastructure and funding.

HCI staff member and Early Learning Specialist Isabel Llamas Hernandez shares her perspective on the licensure barriers facing providers participating in the Rice County Family, Friends and Neighbors (FFN) network.

“It’s always an honor to host visitors. Not only does it give us the chance to highlight the innovative work happening in Rice County, but it also helps ensure that the needs of communities like ours remain front and center in the minds of policymakers,” said Kelsy Duffy, HCI’s Network Impact Coordinator for Growing Up Healthy and Ready for Kindergarten.

DCYF is working to modernize provider licensing requirements; officials said a revised draft will be released in mid-September for public and legislative feedback.