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The Iowa Department of Human Services will be using $200 million in federal grants to help childcare providers stabilize from financial losses due to the pandemic.
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds announced new initiative to aid child care providers Wednesday, including the grants totaling $200 million. An additional $10 million is being invested in the Child Care Challenge Grant Program to expand or create new child care centers, available today.
The Iowa Department of Education is making available $100,000 in grants to generate more blended childcare and preschool learning opportunities.
The state will also implement a new online childcare management system for childcare providers and a "Best Place for Working Parents" designation to businesses which best accommodate their employees with children. These two initiatives will go into place in 2022.
Governor Reynolds says Iowa's child care shortage costs the state's economy nearly $1 billion annually.