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September 17, 2026 CERTIFIED MAIL Mindy Blankers 731 Mill Street East Edgerton, MN 56128-4424 License Number 1129020 FCC ORDER OF LICENSE REVOCATION Dear Ms. Blankers: Based on the recommendation of Southwest Health and Human Services (SWHHS), the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) is revoking your license to provide family child care at 731 Mill Street East, Edgerton, MN. Details of our findings are provided below. Our next steps and your options are also detailed. REASON FOR LICENSE REVOCATION 1. Commissioner’s evaluation of program In determining whether a licensing action is warranted, DCYF evaluated the facts, conditions, and circumstances concerning your program’s operation. This includes consideration of the well-being of children in your program, available evaluations from consumers of your program, and information about the qualifications of caregivers working in your program. Specifically, because you failed to follow requirements for transporting children as required, because you provided false or misleading information during an investigation, and because you failed to follow the terms of your conditional order. DCYF has determined that revocation of your license is appropriate based on the violations identified below and the program evaluation. Legal Authority: Minnesota Statutes, section 142B.10, subdivision 13. 2. Conditional license violations On August 10, 2026, SWHHS received a report regarding your family child care program. SWHHS investigated the report and determined that you failed to follow term #1 of your conditional license when you transported children in a vehicle without adequate seating, without the appropriate car seats and without appropriate car seat use. Term #1- You must follow and comply with all applicable Minnesota Rules and Laws. Legal Authority: Minnesota Statutes, section 142B.16, subdivision 3; and 142B.18, subdivision 4, paragraph (a). 3. False or misleading information or knowingly withheld relevant information SWHHS determined that you knowingly withheld relevant information or provided false or misleading information to the Commissioner related to an investigation when you stated that you transported an infant in an infant seat. On August 19, 2026, you sent a diagram to SWHHS with the placement of children when you transport in your vehicle. You stated that the infant was in an infant carrier seat. However, you also told SWHHS that you do not use other people’s car seats when transporting and you did not have an infant carrier seat. You also stated that you had not transported 10 children in your vehicle. However, SWHHS determined that you had transported 10 children in your vehicle that holds seven passengers. Legal Authority: Minnesota Statutes, section 142B.18, subdivision 4, paragraph (a), subparagraph (3). 4. Failure to comply with licensing laws and rules SWHHS determined that you failed to fully comply with the laws and rules that apply to licensed family child care. DCYF has considered the nature, chronicity, or severity of the violations that led to the revocation of your license. Legal Authority: Minnesota Statutes, section 142B.18, subdivision 4, paragraph (a), subparagraph (1). Nature, history and severity of violations New violations determined The following are new violations that have not been the subject of a previous correction order. DCYF considered these violations as a factor when it determined that revocation of your license is appropriate. SWHHS received a report that on August 6, 2026, you were observed at the library getting out of your vehicle which has seating for seven passengers, with nine children. While at the library another child joined your group. You were then observed leaving the library in your vehicle with 10 children even though your vehicle has seating for seven passengers. On August 13, 2026, SWHHS opened an investigation. During the investigation, you demonstrated how you had the car seats in your vehicle while transporting. It was determined that on August 6, 2026, you had 10 children in care. You stated that another individual transports your three children when you are caring for over seven children and that is what happened on August 6, 2026. The other individual could not verify that they provided transportation to children on that day. However, SWHHS obtained information that when you transport children there are sometimes four children in the third row that has three seats and there are four children in the second row that has three seats, and one of the young children is being held by a school age child. On August 19, 2026, you sent a diagram to SWHHS with the placement of children when you transport in your vehicle. You stated that the infant was in an infant carrier seat. However, you also told SWHHS that you do not use other people’s car seats when transporting and you did not have an infant carrier seat. SWHHS determined that you failed to transport children as required when you demonstrated that you transported an infant and young toddler in a five-point hardness that is forward facing. Children of that age are to be transported with a rear facing car seat. SWHHS also determined that you would need four five-point harness car seats to transport the children in your care. SWHHS observed two five-point harness care seats in your vehicle when you demonstrated how you transported children in your care. You also stated that a three-year-old child was transported in a booster seat, however, a three-year-old should be transported in a five-point harness. 1. You failed to safely transport children in care when an infant and young toddler were transported in a car seat forward facing instead of rear facing. Rule Violated: Minnesota Rules, part 9502.0435, subpart 9. 2. You failed to safely transport children in care when you transported 10 children in a vehicle with only seven passenger seats. Rule Violated: Minnesota Rules, part 9502.0435, subpart 9. 3. You failed to safely transport a young child in care when you transported him/her in a booster seat instead of the required 5-point harness. Rule Violated: Minnesota Rules, part 9502.0435, subpart 9. 4. You failed to comply with term #1 of your conditional license stating that you must comply with all Minnesota Rules and Laws. Statute Violated: Minnesota Statutes, section 142B.16, subdivision 3. Previous licensing actions The following violations summarize the nature of your previous licensing violations. Please refer to the previously issued orders for further details on these violations. If you do not have copies of these orders, contact your SWHHS licensor for assistance. DCYF also considered this history as a factor when it determined that revocation of your license is appropriate. · December 1, 2025, Conditional License, which was based on the following: o You were previously licensed under license 1054271 by SWHHS. o On March 18, 2014, you were issued an Order or Temporary Immediate Suspension, for an infant that sustained a broken arm in your care. o On July 16, 2014, you were issued an Order of Revocation, you appealed that Order on June 25, 2014. o On November 26, 2014, the administrative law judge made a recommendation to reverse your maltreatment determination for physical abuse and subsequently reverse your background study disqualification. The administrative law judge also made the recommendation to impose a lesser sanction. o On March 30, 2015, the Commissioner issued their final order of a Conditional License to run for a period of two years. o You did not appeal the Conditional License issued on March 30, 2015, and on April 14, 2015, you chose to close your program. Severity of violations Due to the serious and chronic nature of these violations and the conditions in the program, which impact the health and safety of children served in your care, your license to provide family child care services is revoked. YOUR RIGHT TO APPEAL You have the right to appeal the revocation. Your request must be in writing and clearly state that you are requesting a contested case hearing for this matter. Your request must be made before the deadlines provided below. If you do not meet this deadline, you lose your right to an administrative appeal. The timeline to appeal began when you received this order. If you are mailing your request, it must be sent by certified mail and postmarked within 10 calendar days from when you received this order. Please send it to: Commissioner, Department of Children, Youth, and Families Office of Inspector General Legal Counsel’s Office Attention: Licensing Legal Unit PO Box 64953 St. Paul, MN 55164-0953 If your request is being personally delivered, it must be received by DCYF within 10 calendar days from when you received this order. Please bring it to: Commissioner, Department of Children, Youth, and Families Office of Inspector General Legal Counsel’s Office Attention: Licensing Legal Unit 444 Lafayette Road North St. Paul, MN 55155 Upon DCYF’s receipt of your timely appeal, your case would be scheduled for a contested case hearing in front of an Administrative Law Judge. Following this hearing, the Commissioner of DCYF will issue a final order. If you do not appeal or if the order is affirmed by the Commissioner following a hearing, DCYF is prohibited from issuing you a license for five years. In addition, any additional licenses held by you shall also be revoked. Legal representation at the contested case hearing: You do not need a lawyer to appeal. However, a lawyer can help you with your appeal. The state or county will not get you a lawyer and will not pay for a lawyer. If you cannot afford a lawyer, you may be able to get free legal advice or help with your appeal. To find out if free help is available, contact: Volunteer Lawyers Network at 612-752-6677; Central Minnesota Legal Services at 612-332-8151; Southern Minnesota Legal Services at 651-222-4731; or go to www.lawhelpmn.org to find a local legal services program that may be able to help you. You can also find information on contested cases from the Office of Administrative Hearings website at https://mn.gov/oah/self-help. Click on Administrative Law Overview, then click on Administrative Law Contested Case Hearing Guide for a list of frequently asked questions. Operating the program pending the outcome of the appeal: If you file an appeal within the timeframes described above, you may continue to operate pending the outcome of your appeal. If you continue to operate, you must comply with the conditions described below. If you continue to operate, you must do so in full compliance with all licensing laws and rules. Failure to follow a law or rule that may impact the health or safety of children served by your program could result in the immediate suspension of your license. If you continue to operate pending the outcome of your appeal, you must comply with the following conditions: · You must not provide transportation to any child care children even if you appeal the revocation of your license. Questions about CCAP If you are a provider registered to receive Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) payments, this [revocation/suspension/decertification] order could impact your ability to receive CCAP funding. If your CCAP registration is closed or denied as a result of this Licensing action, you will get a separate notice(s). If you have questions about: · Your CCAP registration, and you get a notice telling you your registration is being closed or denied, contact the DCYF Provider Support team at CCAP.Providers.DCYF@state.mn.us or 651-431-4848. · Billing or payments for specific children, contact the county or CCAP agency where the children get CCAP. Prohibition against providing legally unlicensed child care On December 1, 2025, DCYF issued an Order of Conditional License to your family child care program, which disqualified you from providing legally unlicensed child care. You remain prohibited from providing legally unlicensed child care even if you appeal this order. Posting of this Licensing Action You are required to place this Order of License Revocation in a place that is clearly noticeable to the people receiving services and all visitors to the facility for two years, even if you appeal. Legal authority for this licensing action · This action is taken under Minnesota Statutes, section 142B.18, subdivision 4, which describes under which conditions DCYF may revoke a license. When a revocation of a license is based on a disqualification for which reconsideration was timely requested and which was not set aside, the scope of the contested case hearing for the revocation shall also include the risk of harm review under Minnesota Statutes, section 142B.20, subdivision 3, paragraph (g). · Minnesota Statutes, section 245.095 defines which programs administered by DCYF are included in the exclusion provision, and further defines “excluded,” “individual,” and “provider.” · License holders have a right to appeal licensing actions and request a contested case hearing, under Minnesota Statutes, chapter 14, Minnesota Rules, parts 1400.8505 to 1400.8612, and Minnesota Statutes, section 142B.20. · Under Minnesota Statutes, section 142B.10, subdivision 14, paragraph (d), subparagraph (3), the commissioner shall not issue or reissue a license if the applicant, license holder, or controlling individual has had a license issued under this chapter or chapter 245A revoked within the past five years. · Under Minnesota Statutes, section 142B.10, subdivision 14, paragraph (d), when a license issued under this chapter is revoked under clause (1) or (3), the license holder and controlling individual may not hold any license under chapter 142B or chapter 245A for five years following the revocation, and other licenses held by the applicant, license holder, or controlling individual shall also be revoked. · Minnesota Statutes, section 142B.05, subdivision 4, provides that child care provider who has received a license revocation that has not been reversed on appeal may not provide unlicensed child care to non-relatives. Operating a prohibited unlicensed family child care is a misdemeanor under Minnesota Statutes, section 142B.05, subdivision 5. · The requirement to post this order in a clearly visible location is required under Minnesota Statutes, section 142B.18, subdivision 6. Questions If you have any further questions regarding this matter, you may contact Beth Donahue, Supervisor at 651-431-6565. Sincerely,
Alexandra Keys, Family Child Care Unit Manager Licensing Division Office of Inspector General cc: Angie Frisk, Southwest Health and Human Services
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