Red Lake County is situated in the northwest corner of Minnesota and was named after the Red Lake
River in 1896. It is the only landlocked county in the United States to be surrounded only by two
neighboring counties. The 2022 census reported 3,874 residents living in Red Lake County making it the
third-least populous county in the state. Farming is a big industry, as is small business ownership.  In
addition, Red Lake County is in close proximity to large manufacturing companies including Digi Key,
Arctic Cat, and Altoz.

Red Lake County is experiencing a shortage of available child care. Due to limited and unreliable child
care options in the area, the shortage is having a significant impact on the local economy and
community.  Families must cut back on the hours they work or opt out of the workforce altogether to
stay home and care for their children.  In addition, the long and strenuous hours are impacting child
care providers, consequently, some are looking for alternative employment options that offer generous
wages, flexible hours, and more benefits. Red Lake County is participating in the Rural Child Care
Innovation Program to explore and implement local and right-sized solutions to address Child Care
shortages, and support workforce development, with the goal of positively impacting economic growth.