(Des Moines) The Iowa Department of Education is awarding over $2 million in grants for therapeutic classrooms in 10 school districts.
The grants will go toward establishing classrooms for students between 3 and 21 with behavior or emotional needs that require a different learning environment than a traditional classroom. Students can also receive therapeutic support, including skill-building, stress and trauma services, and mental health treatment.
The Therapeutic Classroom Incentive Grant was signed into law in 2020 as part of a statewide effort to increase mental health resources for children and their families. Funds can be used to establish new classrooms or improve current classrooms with critical components needed in a therapeutic setting.
The school districts receiving grant funds will establish 19 new therapeutic classrooms and youth mental health services in 15 Iowa counties, impacting over 150 students.
