Otter Tail County receives grant to support child care project
News | Published on March 18, 2025 at 3:25pm EDT | Author: frazeevergas
0Otter Tail County was awarded a $240,000 Child Care Economic Development Grant from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (MN DEED). The awarded funding will be a sub-grant to support the construction and start-up equipment costs of four child care sites in the City of Ottertail. This support will make a substantial impact on the availability of child care in the area, increasing the supply of child care by approximately 50 slots.
Otter Tail County understands that access to quality and affordable child care is needed for people to live and work in our region. A local non-profit, Three Little Otters, will own and manage the child care sites, creating spaces that will provide critical support to families in need of affordable, high-quality child care.
Three Little Otters founding members Alex and Tyler Rupe shared, “We are thrilled to bring more accessible daycare to Ottertail and the surrounding areas, supporting the growing families in our community. It has been our dream to create a welcoming space where providers can offer quality care, and we can’t wait to see that dream come to life!”
“Congratulations to the community leaders who worked hard to win this significant funding award,” Senator Jordan Rasmusson (R-Fergus Falls) said. “I was happy to support this project and look forward to seeing the positive impact it will have on families in our region.”
MN DEED is the state’s principal economic development agency. $6.1 million in Child Care Economic Development Grant funds were awarded to 25 organizations representing communities throughout Minnesota. The community organizations receiving the grants will use a variety of approaches ranging from expanding child care facilities, to creating resource centers for child care providers, to assistance with licensing.
Contact Alex Rupe with Three Little Otters at (218) 457-6218 or threelittleotters22@gmail.com for more information about the child care project in Ottertail. More information about Otter Tail County’s child care resources can be found at www.ottertailcounty.gov/childcare.