By Andi Anderson
Governor Reynolds champions Iowa's child care support, releasing the last round of Covid-era stipends for licensed child care providers. The application window, open until January 12, 2024, emphasizes the critical role of child care in driving economic growth.
These stipends, varying from $10,000 to $50,000 based on program size and applications received, aid in one-time expenses for employee recruitment, retention, minor renovations, or equipment upgrades. Interested parties can access the stipend application and detailed information on the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) website.
Iowa remains dedicated to addressing child care challenges by providing quality care, ensuring parental employment, and fostering economic development. Efforts include disbursing over $218 million in Stabilization Grants directly to providers during the pandemic and launching programs for recruitment bonuses, Child Care Assistance access, and collaborations with local businesses for wage enhancements.
Additionally, partnerships with Iowa Workforce Development have resulted in more than $35 million in Child Care Challenge grants, creating over 4,880 new child care slots statewide. The initiative also encourages employers to integrate child care into their benefits, with $27 million in grants generating a $58 million investment and over 1,860 new child care slots.
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Categories: Iowa, General