Iowa City child care provider to receive $900k through state grant program

IOWA CITY — An Iowa City organization will expand the child care services it offers, thanks to a grant from the Iowa Childcare Business Incentive grant program.

Gov. Kim Reynolds announced Monday the grant program is doling out more than $14 million to 13 providers to increase child care options offered by employers across the state. The program, which reopened in November, is estimated to create 874 new child care slots across the state.

Reach For Your Potential Inc., an organization that provides residential and other services for adults with disabilities in Iowa City, is set to receive more than $911,000 through the grant program to open a new child care facility to serve its employees and the public.

Reach For Your Potential plans to use the money to renovate a building the organization already owns. Part of the renovations will include replacing the existing windows and flooring.

The building has seven classrooms, each for a different age group, as well as an outdoor playground and green space.

Staci Humiston, Reach For Your Potential executive director, said construction is set to begin sometime next month with the goal of opening in the fall, ideally before school starts.

The facility plans to offer extended operating hours, staying open as late as 8:30 p.m.

Serving children between 8 weeks and 12 years old

The new facility, located at 1839 B St., has the potential to serve up to 100 children between the ages of 8 weeks and 12 years, Humiston said.

However, the number of children served will be dependent on their ages.

Child care centers must adhere to state staffing standards, which, for example, require one staff member per four infants.

“We have the ability to move different age groups around, if needed, to make the building as functional as we can. If one room is a little bit bigger and can house more of the 2-year-old group, then we'll bring them to the bigger room and possibly move 3- to 4-year-olds to the smaller room,” said Humiston.

For school aged children, Humiston said the center can be used as an after school program or as additional care for after school programs with limited hours.

“That's been a big thing, especially for our staff, who do work hours beyond 5:00. They're working in homes with those adults with disabilities. That's been something that I know a lot of our staff have been happy about, that we have extended hours versus, you know, other day care,” said Humiston.

As part of the new facility, Humiston said Reach For Your Potential will look to hire at least 10 classroom teachers and a child care center director.

“We're very excited to have this opportunity to provide more child care. It's exciting to hear the buzz kind of around our staff, and hear them talking about it. It's been a long time coming and we're finally getting started on it,” said Humiston.

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