(Des Moines) Governor Kim Reynolds reaffirmed her commitment to strengthening Iowa’s child care system on Tuesday by launching a new Statewide Solutions Fund, extending the successful Child Care Assistance pilot program that supports child care workers, and introducing a Continuum of Care grant to encourage preschool and child care partnerships to provide a full day of care for 4-year-olds.
“When individuals, businesses, and government all work together to solve a problem, Iowans benefit. This is more evident than in child care,” Gov. Reynolds said. “Programs like the Child Care Assistance pilot and the Statewide Solutions Fund will continue to increase our childcare workforce and capacity. And, the Early Childhood Continuum of Care grant will help give working parents what they need—a full day continuum of care for their children.”
Iowa HHS is releasing a Request for Proposal for the Early Childhood Continuum of Care grant to address gaps in full-day care. Grants of up to $300,000 over three years will support partnerships between Statewide Voluntary Preschool Program (SWVPP) sites and licensed child care centers to offer seamless, full-day care for 4-year-olds.
“This first-of-its-kind grant opportunity supports partnerships between high-quality preschool and child care programs, providing a full day of care that meets the needs of children and working families,” said Iowa Department of Education Director McKenzie Snow. “We know that about 90 percent of a child’s brain develops by age 5, and Iowa’s new Continuum of Care grant will expand family access to high-quality early childhood options that lay the foundation for learner success in school and beyond.”
Additional funding will help support a strong early child care talent pipeline, further supporting working families with young children.
“These investments in early childhood initiatives are critical to support working parents and prepare young kids for school. Additionally, each day we entrust our child care workforce and provider partners with caring for our children – these programs demonstrate our commitment to recognizing and honoring their very important role,” said Iowa Health and Human Services Director Kelly Garcia.
Statewide Solutions Fund
The new fund allows individuals and Iowa businesses to contribute toward boosting child care workforce wages. Donations will be used in two ways:
- Restricted funds will go to the regional child care solutions fund.
- Unrestricted funds will be matched 2:1 by the state to amplify impact.
This statewide effort builds on a successful pilot that launched nine regional funds and showed strong economic potential. According to the Common-Sense Institute of Iowa, a statewide fund could:
- Add nearly 11,000 new child care slots.
- Enable 5,000 more women, including 1,000 new child care workers, to enter the workforce.
- Create up to 8,000 jobs across Iowa.
- Generate $45 in GDP growth and $21 in personal income for every $1 invested privately.
For more information on the Statewide Solutions fund, click here.
Child Care Assistance Pilot Extended
The state will continue the innovative pilot program that allows eligible child care workers to qualify for Childcare Assistance—even if their income exceeds traditional limits. Currently serving over 900 families and 1,500 children, the program ensures that those who care for Iowa’s children can access affordable care for their own.
