A bill that offers child care assistance to child care workers regardless of their income is on its way to the governor’s desk for her signature.
The bill (HF 2514) would make an existing pilot program permanent. Child care workers would have to work at least 32 hours a week with the primary duty of providing services directly to kids to qualify for assistance.
Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott, D-West Des Moines, said the pilot program got a very positive response.
“I heard from so many child care providers that this was the make-or-break thing to keep people in the profession, because a lot of our child care providers are parents of young children,” she said. “And so this is a benefit that helps them to continue to work in that field. And that makes a difference for all of our families with young children.”
It’s expected to cost nearly $12 million in the first year, with $7 million coming from the state and the rest from the federal government. The bill passed the Iowa Senate unanimously.