What if cities invested in childcare like they do roads? Here's how it's going in Mapleton

In the southern Minnesota town of Mapleton, childcare provider Brooke Garvey is nearly a year into a new job. She runs a daycare out of a house purchased by the local government.

Garvey had wanted to open an in-home daycare, but her old farmhouse outside of town didn't meet the requirements. She couldn't afford to make the necessary upgrades, so the city-owned house gave her another option. She was able to customize the space to meet the needs of her daycare business.

Garvey now cares for 10 children, including her own two, at Tiny Roots. It's the first example of a new model championed by Jeff Andrews, CEO of Business of Child Care, a firm that advises cities to invest in childcare the way they do roads and utilities.

Andrews helped develop the model in Mapleton and hopes to expand it to other Minnesota cities. He joined MPR News host Nina Moini to talk about it.

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.

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