Child care has been in a downward spiral for twenty years and is a main factor exacerbating the growing worker shortage. New attention before and financial aid during the pandemic perhaps slowed the spiral, but it hasn't reversed it. The primary cause of the shortage in Greater Minnesota is simple: family child care providers, who supply the bulk…

During the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic (March 2020), government officials expected unemployment to increase significantly as businesses and schools across the state shut down or severely limited their operations. Ten months later, however, while unemployment continues to be a top concern of government officials, the employment landscape…

After a year of COVID, spiking unemployment, closed schools, and restricted businesses, rural Minnesotans may be looking at a unique opportunity in economic development. Since the Great Recession, rural employers have been dealing with an ever-growing job vacancy rate, which was discussed in the report, "The Pandemic Paints a Different…

The Center for Rural Policy and Development first started looking into the matter of the child care shortage in 2015. In the process of this initial research, they found a corresponding shortage of information on just why providers were leaving the business. As a result, they concluded in 2018 that it was necessary to conduct a survey that would…

This is the summary of the report, "CRPD Hears from Child Care Providers: Results of a Statewide Survey of Child Care Providers." Results included in this summary include: (1) Takeaways at a glance; (2) Regulations and finances; and (3) Differences between family and center providers. [To view the full report, see ED597232.]

The number of students choosing to open enroll in Greater Minnesota has been trending upward consistently since the policy was developed, but within the last ten years, these patterns have been intensifying, and in such a way that they are impacting how districts plan their programming, busing, and finances. Many districts are even be forced to…

The immigrant population is growing in rural Minnesota, and those who are interested in farming will be replacing a dwindling population of traditionally white farmers. Like traditional American farmers, immigrant farmers have a need for continuing education to keep them up on best practices and new technology in agriculture. Minnesota's…

After more than ten years of asking rural Minnesotans about their access to high-speed Internet service, it is possible to draw a few conclusions: (1) It is fairly well accepted now that broadband access has become a necessity for functioning at full capacity in today's world; (2) The digital divide isn't what it used to be; (3) Broadband no…

A parent walking into a classroom in a Minnesota public school today will be presented with a different learning environment compared to that of 20 years ago. Gone are filmstrips and movie projectors and in their place are computer screens. Today's classroom is a heavy user of digital media, and much of that is accessed via the Internet. It is…

In the ten years since the Center for Rural Policy and Development began its survey of broadband adoption in Minnesota, the growth of broadband use -- and its necessity -- has been nothing short of remarkable. Since 2001, its availability has spread steadily, and its adoption has risen accordingly statewide. Both private and public entities have…

When this research report was first conceived, the current economic crisis was only just on the verge of revealing its full extent. Economic crisis or no economic crisis, over the years funding for PK-12 education has been a constant struggle. While all schools continue to face difficulties, for various reasons rural schools have different and…

Since 2001 the Center for Rural Policy & Development (CRPD) has annually conducted surveys of rural Minnesota households to discern the level of computer ownership, Internet connectivity and broadband adoption throughout rural Minnesota. Since the beginning of this longitudinal effort, significant increases in technology adoption have been…

This report was designed to examine the influence of a growing Latino enrollment in Minnesota's public schools. Using data from the Minnesota Department of Education, the authors observed that while overall enrollment numbers in Minnesota have declined approximately 3% since 2001, Latino enrollment actually grew by more than 38% during this same…

The Entrepreneurial Campus Initiative (ECI) is a collaborative effort between the Northland Foundation, the Northeast Entrepreneur Fund and the Center for Rural Policy and Development. The purpose of the initiative is to explore and design new ways in which rural college campuses can be more engaged in entrepreneurship and business development in…

There is little doubt that having a local college or university in your community is a wonderful local and regional asset. However, the true size and scope of its economic value and impact on the community can vary greatly. Is your community just thankful that as a large employer the college provides a large and stable payroll? Is the college…