06-02-2025
What are local organizations doing to address Iowa's childcare crisis?
IOWA — At just 25 years old, Ashley Miranda is the Assistant Director at Conmigo Early Education Center. You'd expect her to have a related degree, but hers is in biomedical science. Her dream is to be a doctor doing missionary work. She has the grades to go to medical school, but also has five younger siblings.
'I was just thinking how I cannot put my family through this financial strain right now,' she says. 'My mom still has babies to deal with. Let me work. Let me save up some money. Let me think about what I really want to do.'
Conmigo gave Ashley the foundation to become a straight A student, and the first in her family to go to college. Many organizations think her work should be rewarded.
'This is not babysitting,' say Jillian Herink and Jeannine Laughlin from the Iowa Association for the Education of Young Children. 'Please. It's childcare, not daycare, not nursery school, it's childcare. And these are educators.'
AEYC works to attract and retain quality employees like Ashley.
'We have the TEACH and the WAGES program here,' explains Herink, 'one pays for people to go to school, one pays extra stipends to keep them working in the childcare workforce, and so that we can kind of level out that pay a little bit more and keep those teachers where they want to teach.'
Ashley is one of three employees at Conmigo in the WAGES program. Two others are benefiting from TEACH. Both are funded by the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services.
In-home provider Becky Huisman is also in WAGES.
'It helps greatly offset what I'm not making,' she says, 'and it's covering a lot of bills that needed to be paid.'
Low wages contributing to Iowa's childcare crisis, experts say
Huisman is also part of the state's voluntary system 'Iowa Quality For Kids' – known as IQ4K – a rating system that also pays bonuses.
'There's professional plans,' she explains, 'what do I need to do to better my program for the kids and make sure I'm still providing the best care I need to for the kids so they can continue to learn and grow from in my program.'
Even with the assistance it's tough to make ends meet.
'I haven't raised rates in four years and now it's harder for me to pay my bills. So I'm going to have to raise rates and hopefully my families can meet those increases,' Huisman said.
Federal funding is already allocated and available to avoid that scenario in the form of childcare development block grants. $91 million from last year remains untouched.
'So I know that it's sitting there for a rainy day,' Jeannine Laughlin exclaims, 'we are in a damn hurricane!'
The governor's office says the state is trying to put that money to use by increasing eligibility for families and reimbursement rates for providers. Alex Murphy, director of communications with HHS released the following statement about the funding:
Yes, Iowa does have federal CCDBG funding that has not yet been dispersed. CCDBG funding has specific stipulations around how the funding can be utilized. Specifically, 70% of funds must be spent on 'direct services', meaning the funds must be spent specifically on family access to child care services. Over the past couple of years, the Iowa Legislature increased eligibility for families and increased reimbursement rates to providers in an effort to utilize unspent funds. HHS continues to work with advocates, legislators, and state leaders to determine the best ways to use the CCDBG funds within allowable parameters.
Alex Murphy, Iowa HHS
The Iowa Women's Foundation created a pilot program called the Childcare Solutions Fund. using public and private dollars, including $3 million from the state. It created 275 new slots in seven communities.
'So, really putting a three legged stool under child care,' says Executive Director Deann Cook, 'with parent tuition, public money, and private money. That's what stabilizes the sector to make it more available for everybody.'
The governor referenced the pilot program in her condition of the state address and she's pledging more funding to expand it. Ultimately supporting people like Ashley and the children and families she serves.
'Everything we do here, every interaction we have with them, they absorb it all and they take that with them in life.'
Below is a list of resources for families and providers:
Iowa Child Care Connect
Iowa Association for the Education of Young Children
Iowa Department of Human Services Child Care Provider search
How to contact your legislators
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