(Radio Iowa) – Governor Reynolds has signed a bill into law that makes a temporary state program that’s covered child care expenses for about a thousand employees of Iowa child care centers permanent. “What started as the Child Care Assistance Pilot Program in 2023 has become the single most effective way to reduce staff turn-over in child care centers,” Reynolds said. “The program provides financial assistance, regardless of income, to help child care employees pay for their own children’s child care costs.”
Reynolds signed the bill at the Stepping Stones Child Care Center in Slater. Alura Gould is one of three employees there who’s getting the benefit that covers the cost of child care for her own daughter. “Finding out that this bill passed is amazing for me and for so many of my coworkers and others around the state,” Gould said. “It allows us and our families to have stable income. It allows the children we care for to continue to have the same teachers throughout the years that they’re familiar with and comfortable with. I’m extremely grateful for this and I know a lot of other people are, too.”
The bill passed with the support of all but three members of the Iowa Legislature and makes state child care assistance for child care workers permanent on July 1st. “It means child care centers can promote a valuable benefit to help recruit and retain early childhood educators and staff,” Reynolds said. “As more centers can grow their workforce, child care access will continue to expand and we’ll be able to serve more working families across the state.”
Reynolds says in the past five years, the capacity at Iowa child care centers has grown by more than 25-thousand slots.
