Ramsey County Commissioner Mary Jo McGuire to highlight nursing, childcare incentive programs at White House

Frederick Melo, Pioneer Press
·1 min read
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Ramsey County Commissioner Mary Jo McGuire will visit the White House on Wednesday for a half-day summit intended to highlight how federal American Rescue Plan dollars have helped prop up workers during the pandemic.

The summit, to be led by Vice President Kamala Harris and U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh, will focus on state and county-level workforce investments. It will feature remarks by North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper and Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf, and panels with mayors, county leaders and labor and community advocates showcasing their workforce programs.

White House officials said some $40 billion in American Rescue Plan funds have been committed toward workforce issues. Despite the pandemic, record job growth remains a strong point of an economy otherwise buffeted by inflation, high gas prices and a struggling stock market.

The summit will focus in part on the importance of propping up childcare and the public health workforce. Ramsey County created a $1 million “Public Health Career Pathways” program aimed at addressing a shortage of registered nurses and community health workers. The program, which prioritizes applicants who are single parents receiving public assistance, covers college preparatory coaching and mentoring, tuition reimbursement, transportation or childcare expenses and other related costs.

The county provides $1,000 annual bonuses and free professional development training to help childcare providers stay current with modern standards and licensing requirements. The county is recruiting additional childcare educators in the neighborhoods most affected by shortages, and offering the training required to achieve a Child Development Associate credential at no cost.

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