Bill allows teens to care for infants, toddlers unsupervised at Iowa child care centers

DES MOINES — Iowa 16- and 17-year-olds would be able to care for younger children unsupervised at child care centers under a bill advanced Tuesday by state lawmakers.

A House subcommittee advanced House File 2056, which would require the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services to amend its administrative rules to allow 16- and 17-year-olds to care for children up to 5 at child care centers, without additional supervision, provided that at least two adults employed by the center are present.

Currently, only one adult has to be in the facility where a minor is providing care to school-aged children.

Lawmakers in 2022 passed and Gov. Kim Reynolds signed legislation allowing child care centers the ability to hire 16- and 17-year-olds to work or substitute in their facilities without adult supervision, as long as they're caring for school-aged children. Previously, child care workers had to be 18 to work unsupervised.

The new law was designed by Republican lawmakers to address child care worker shortages. Critics have said it will not help, as it does not contain any provision to help address child care workers’ low wages, and could create dangerous scenarios with unsupervised teens monitoring multiple toddlers.

The bill advanced Tuesday would allow 16-year-olds and 17-year-olds to care for up to four infants by themselves in a classroom, up to seven 2-year-olds, 10 3-year-olds and 12 4-year-olds.

The Health and Human Services department was registered undecided on the bill.

About 50 percent of licensed child care centers in the state surveyed, roughly 150 total, have chosen to hire 16- and 17-year-olds to provide care to school-age children unsupervised, according to the department.

Proponents said the bill will help short-staffed child care centers have more flexibility to fill gaps, allowing 16- and 17-year-olds to cover breaks and nap times and assist in the care of more children.

“This was brought to us by child care providers asking for us to allow this — not mandate it, simply allow it,” said state Rep. Devon Wood, R-New Market, who chaired the subcommittee.

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State Rep. Austin Baeth, D-Des Moines, declined to sign off on the bill. It passed the subcommittee on a 2-1 vote.

“Certainly we have a workforce issue here,” Baeth said. “ … Yes, we need to be innovative in how we improve our workforce, but we need to do it in a safe way.”

He noted choking is among the leading causes of unintentional death in children under 5. “You’re going to ask a 16-year-old to stay off their phone to watch all kids and make sure they’re not choking and be ready to do a Heimlich?” Baeth asked. “I worry about that sort of thing.”

The United Way of Central Iowa, which funds 15 nonprofit child care centers, is registered opposed to the bill.

“Infants and toddlers are the most challenging, intensive type of care,” said David Stone with the organization. “If you can imagine what a 16-year-old would be facing with up to four infants, or a much larger numbers of toddlers. We’re concerned about the safety of the kiddos, first and foremost.”

Additionally, Stone said advocates are trying to “professionalize child care.”

“We want that individual to have a good experience. We don’t want them to burn out before they’re even 18 years old, and stay in the profession,” he said. “Third and final, some of our centers report because 16-year-olds would be unsupervised in the classroom providing care, they may struggle to gain liability insurance from their provider. … So safety, workforce and, overall, there’s other things and other innovative approaches we can take to address child care workforce challenges.”

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