The Democratic National Convention has finalized its 2028 presidential primary calendar, and Iowa is not in the early voting contest. On this Newsbuzz edition, Meghan McKinney sits in for Ben Kieffer. First, we hear from Iowans who competed in a weed identification contest at the state fair. Then, we talk with professor Megan Goldberg of Cornell College about the competition in the Iowa governor and Senate races. Daniel Wheaton of the Midwest Newsroom joins us to talk about childcare costs for Iowa families and we hear from IPR's Eliza Billingham about a new crisis aversion program coming to Scott County. Then, we hear about the new Studio One schedule from program director Nick Brunner, and he grooves us into the weekend.
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Hundreds of low-income families will need to choose between working or taking care of their kids because two federally funded child care programs are about to run out of money. As the federal shutdown starts affecting social services, families also have to consider the impending loss of SNAP benefits. -
The bill, proposed by Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds and amended by lawmakers, would use $16 million of existing child care funding for new partnerships that provide a full day of care to 4-year-olds in preschool, among several other changes. -
Gov. Kim Reynolds proposed several child care policies during her Condition of the State address Tuesday night. But she is not calling on lawmakers to expand free full-day preschool, as education leaders have asked.
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Gov. Kim Reynolds is awarding new grants for businesses to expand child care access for their employees. Johnson County is also expanding a program that provides additional help for families that receive child care assistance from the state.
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A pilot program that combined public funds with private donations in ten Iowa communities increased child care capacity without raising prices for families, according to a report released Tuesday by the Iowa Women’s Foundation and the Common Sense Institute.
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State officials announced a new website Thursday with the goal of making it easier for Iowans to find child care.
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Sixteen- and 17-year-olds would be allowed to care for infants and toddlers at child care centers without direct supervision under a bill that advanced Tuesday in the Iowa House of Representatives. -
More Iowans could qualify for government-funded help with paying for child care under a bill awaiting the governor’s signature. -
Johnson County and Iowa City are putting American Rescue Plan dollars to work on the child care crisis by paying workers more.
