On Tuesday, Gov. Kim Reynolds announced a new Statewide Solutions Fund, extended a child care assistance pilot, and introduced a Continuum of Care grant to improve access to affordable, full-day child care for families across Iowa. The Early Childhood Continuum of Care grant offers up to $300,000 over three years to encourage partnerships between Statewide Voluntary Preschool Program (SWVPP) sites and licensed child care centers. The goal is to provide seamless full-day care for four-year-olds, helping working families find consistent, high-quality early childhood education. Reynolds also launched the Statewide Solutions Fund to attract public and private investment in the child care workforce. Private contributions from individuals and businesses will be matched two-to-one to raise wages. Additionally, the state will extend its pilot program, allowing child care workers to qualify for Child Care Assistance, which will benefit over 900 families. Reynolds says, “When individuals, businesses, and government all work together to solve a problem, Iowans benefit. Nowhere is this more evident than in child care. 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.” More information on these programs is available through the links included below.
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