The Child Care Works program continues to deliver strong results in North Iowa.
Since its launch, staffing at participating child care centers has increased by 26%, and providers are serving 7% more children. The wage supplements made possible through this initiative are helping centers attract and retain staff—proving to be an effective, commonsense solution to a complex problem. More staff means more available child care slots, which supports working families and the local
economy.
Although there was promise at the start of the legislative session of a matching
funds grant through the Iowa Child Care Solutions Fund, the chances of this coming
to fruition looks bleak. As of mid-June, no private businesses have contributed to
the state fund. With that in mind, the Chamber is counting on local support to keep
this program running. Businesses interested in investing in Child Care Works should
contact Colleen Frein ([email protected]) or visit
childcareworksnorthiowa.com for more details.