This bill amends existing family child care regulations in Minnesota, specifically updating the process for developing new licensing standards. The commissioner of Children, Youth, and Families is now required to collaborate with an independent organization or consultant, excluding the National Association for Regulatory Administration, to create a proposal for updated family child care licensing standards. The new standards must prioritize the health and safety of children, be child-centered, family-friendly, and fair to providers. Additionally, the consultant is tasked with soliciting input from various stakeholders, including parents and licensed family child care providers, and must engage with working groups throughout the process.

The bill also introduces a risk-based model for monitoring compliance with licensing standards, ensuring that licensing sanctions are proportionate to the potential risk posed to children's health and safety. The timeline for submitting the proposed legislation has been extended to February 1, 2026, and the updated standards and compliance model cannot be implemented before January 1, 2027. Furthermore, all proposals and related documents must be made available in multiple languages, including Hmong, Korean, Russian, Somali, Spanish, and Vietnamese, to ensure accessibility for diverse communities.