I am so sorry to hear of your daughter. As far as I know, there are no exceptions for hardship when renewing your CNA license but I strongly advise you to contact the Minnesota Nursing Assistant Registry for an official answer. The rules were established in order to protect the public health, safety, and welfare by making sure that healthcare workers are competent.
A lapse in employment over 24 months will result in an expired status on the CNA registry. If your registry status has expired but you have been working as a nursing assistant without a 24 month gap of employment you must call the Minnesota Nursing Assistant Registry at 651-215-8705 or at 800-397-6124 for directions. If you haven't worked as a nursing assistant in the last 24 months you can challenge the nursing assistant written and skills competency evaluation to be placed back on the registry.
In Minnesota, nursing assistants must report their nursing assistant employment and you must perform independently at least eight hours of paid nursing assistant duties every 24 months to stay on the registry. In order for your employment to be accepted for renewal purposes, the tasks must be similar to those performed in a nursing home and orientation and training hours are not be accepted. If you are not working at a nursing home or certified home health agency you have to attach a copy of your job description from your employer to your renewal application. You must also provide a copy of a recent pay stub from your employer and allow at least 30 business days for processing.