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Feb. 17, 2025 |  By: Mark Moran - Public News Service

Iowa invests $14 million to expand child care services

two kids

By Mark Moran - Public News Service

Iowa is making $14 million available to take on the critical lack of child care in the state.

Many families said both parents want to work and would, if not for a critical lack of child care services. The funds will be used to build more than 870 new child care centers and expand existing ones in Iowa.

Jillian Herink, executive director of the Iowa Association for the Education of Young Children, said while more buildings will help, the bigger problem is a critical shortage of qualified child care providers.

"A lot of that stems from the low pay for child care providers," Herink pointed out. "And many of the places have a lack of ability to offer benefits, as well."

The funds were awarded to 13 employers who said they will build or expand child care facilities, giving more parents the chance to go to work.

Iowa also recently launched the Childcare Solutions Fund program, which provides communities with money to raise wages and offer health benefits to child care providers.

Herink noted it is one of many compensation strategies the state is using to address a yawning wage gap between traditional classroom educators and child care providers.

"For an example, a child care provider with a bachelor's degree, on average, makes of $16 an hour, where a kindergarten teacher with the same degree is making $30 an hour," Herink outlined. "The discrepancy is very large in the state of Iowa."

In an effort to help working parents find child care quickly, Iowa also recently launched a website, called Iowa Child Care Connect, which allows people to see when and where child care is available in real time.