P {margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;} *OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR*
*Governor Kim Reynolds *★ *Lt. Governor Chris Cournoyer*  
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, May 20, 2025
MEDIA CONTACT: Mason Mauro, (515) 745-2840, [email protected]
  *Gov. Reynolds advances child care solutions with full-day continuum of care grants and new statewide fund* DES MOINES— Today, Governor Kim Reynolds reaffirmed her commitment to strengthening Iowa’s child care system by launching a new Statewide Solutions Fund, extending the successful Child Care Assistance pilot program that supports child care workers, and introducing a Continuum of Care grant to encourage preschool and child care partnerships to provide a full day of care for 4-year-olds.    “When individuals, businesses, and government all work together to solve a problem, Iowans benefit. Nowhere is this more evident than in child care,” Gov. Reynolds said. “Programs like the Child Care Assistance pilot and the Statewide Solutions Fund will continue to increase our childcare workforce and capacity. And, the Early Childhood Continuum of Care grant will help give working parents what they need—a full day continuum of care for their children.”   *"Continuum of Care Grants"* To address gaps in full-day care, Iowa HHS is releasing a Request for Proposal for the Early Childhood Continuum of Care grant. Grants of up to $300,000 over three years will support partnerships between _Statewide Voluntary Preschool Program (SWVPP) [ [link removed] ]_ sites and licensed child care centers to offer seamless, full-day care for 4-year-olds.    “This first-of-its-kind grant opportunity supports partnerships between high-quality preschool and child care programs, providing a full day of care that meets the needs of children and working families,” said Iowa Department of Education Director McKenzie Snow. “We know that about 90 percent of a child’s brain develops by age 5, and Iowa’s new Continuum of Care grant will expand family access to high-quality early childhood options that lay the foundation for learner success in school and beyond.”    Additional funding will help support a strong early child care talent pipeline, further supporting working families with young children.   “These investments in early childhood initiatives are critical to support working parents and prepare young kids for school. Additionally, each day we entrust our child care workforce and provider partners with caring for our children – these programs demonstrate our commitment to recognizing and honoring their very important role,” said Iowa Health and Human Services Director Kelly Garcia.    More information on this grant is available _here [ [link removed] ]_.   *"Statewide Solutions Fund "* The new fund allows individuals and Iowa businesses to contribute toward boosting child care workforce wages. Donations will be used in two ways: 
* Restricted funds will go to regional child care solutions funds. 
* Unrestricted funds will be matched 2:1 by the state to amplify impact. 
This statewide effort builds on a successful pilot that launched nine regional funds and showed strong economic potential. According to the Common Sense Institute of Iowa, a statewide fund could: 
* Add nearly 11,000 new child care slots. 
* Enable 5,000 more women to enter the workforce—including 1,000 new child care workers. 
* Create up to 8,000 jobs across Iowa. 
* Generate $45 in GDP growth and $21 in personal income for every $1 invested privately.

For more information on the Statewide Solutions fund, click _here [ [link removed] ]_.

  *"Child Care Assistance Pilot Extended "* The state will continue the innovative pilot program that allows eligible child care workers to qualify for Child Care Assistance—even if their income exceeds traditional limits. Currently serving over 900 families and 1,500 children, the program ensures that those who care for Iowa’s children can access affordable care for their own.    More information on these programs is available _here [ [link removed] ]_.   ###

Stay Connected with the Office of the Governor of Iowa:

Facebook [ [link removed] ] Twitter [ [link removed] ] RSS Feed [ [link removed] ]

[ [link removed] ]

Govdelivery [ [link removed] ]
Manage Subscriptions [ [link removed] ]  |   Help [ [link removed] ]

________________________________________________________________________

This email was sent to [email protected] using GovDelivery Communications Cloud on behalf of: State of Iowa · 1007 E Grand Ave · Des Moines, IA 50319 GovDelivery logo [ [link removed] ]

body .abe-column-block { min-height: 5px; } table.gd_combo_table img {margin-left:10px; margin-right:10px;} table.gd_combo_table div.govd_image_display img, table.gd_combo_table td.gd_combo_image_cell img {margin-left:0px; margin-right:0px;}