Iowa is making some progress on child care

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds is making good progress in her effort to bolster child care facilities across the state. But whether there are enough qualified workers to staff those facilities is another question.

Last year, Reynolds and the Iowa Legislature created the Child Care Challenge grant program. In less than a year, the state has awarded funds to create 4,000 new child care spots, Reynolds reported in her recent Condition of the State address.

The latest round of funding, $37 million announced this month, is expected to create up to 5,200 child care openings, including hundreds in Eastern Iowa.

The grant program works by leveraging matching funds from local entities and private organizations. It goes to support a variety of child care projects, including building new facilities, renovating older ones and supporting home day care networks.

We are fully supportive of the Child Care Challenge fund and excited about the prospect of innovative and collaborative models emerging. But even with those funds flowing out to providers, persistent workforce obstacles loom large.

The one-time dollars from the state can be used for construction and rehabilitation but not for administrative expenses and ongoing costs such as personnel. If a city gets a nice new facility but still has no one to work there, it doesn’t do much good.

The other part of Reynolds’ plan involves deregulating child care in hopes of attracting more providers, like by increasing the allowable ratio of children to adults.

Policymakers should be cautious about tinkering with standards meant to ensure a safe and enriching environment for young Iowans. If day cares increase their ratios without also bumping up pay, they run the risk of burning out workers who already are in short supply.

The lack of available child care has for years been identified as a top Iowa problem by leaders of both major parties.

Iowa has the nation’s highest rate of both parents working outside the home but a significant portion of the population live in “child care deserts” without enough spots to meet demand. State analysts say the shortage results in nearly a $1 billion loss to Iowa’s economy.

The grant program is a good start to addressing that problem, but may not be enough. Instead of focusing just on physical assets, the state should also find a way to invest in the people who run them.

(319) 398-8262; editorial@thegazette.com