Iowa child care advocates press lawmakers on workforce, funding reforms

DES MOINES — Advocates, providers and parents from across Iowa gathered at the Statehouse this week to press lawmakers for changes they say are critical to stabilizing the state’s child care system, as part of Iowa Child Care Coalition Day on the Hill.

The Iowa Child Care Coalition (ICCC), a nonpartisan group formed to address what members describe as a persistent child care crisis, is urging legislators to adopt reforms aimed at improving access, affordability and quality while strengthening the workforce that supports thousands of families statewide. Coalition leaders say the annual advocacy day gives providers and parents a chance to share firsthand experiences and push for legislation aligned with their 2026 priorities.

A central focus this year is making permanent a two-year pilot program that allows child care workers to qualify for Child Care Assistance (CCA) to cover care for their own children — a benefit advocates say has become a key tool in retaining staff.

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Paige Chickering, Iowa state manager for Save the Children Action Network (SCAN), said the pilot has been “a game changer” for recruitment and retention in an industry where wages often lag behind other sectors and many small centers struggle to offer full benefits.

“Child care continues to be one of the lowest paid professions in Iowa and across the country,” Chickering said. “The fact that providers can work in child care and be eligible for assistance for their own children has just been absolutely instrumental in keeping people in the workforce.”

According to a state study cited by the coalition, more than 2,000 providers have used the pilot program. Nearly half — 49 percent — said they would be unlikely to remain in child care without it, while 87 percent reported the program encouraged them to continue working in the field.

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Beyond codifying the pilot, the coalition is backing broader CCA reforms. Advocates want providers to be paid based on enrollment rather than daily attendance, arguing that overhead costs remain fixed even when children are absent. They are also seeking to align reimbursement rates for foster children and those with special needs, and to increase overall CCA rates to better reflect market costs.

Katie Warner, director of Harvest Christian Daycare in Cedar Rapids, said several of her roughly 30 employees rely on the pilot program. Without it, she said, some would be forced to leave because their wages would effectively be consumed by child care costs.

“It would be a huge advantage for us if it were codified,” Warner said. “We would for sure lose staff members without it.”

Warner added that attendance-based reimbursement has created financial strain. Her center lost more than $10,000 in a year from unpaid absences, she said, even though staffing and operational expenses did not change.

Kimberly Budak, the center’s assistant director, said the pilot also opens doors for parents who otherwise could not afford to work in child care.

“It affects the staff we currently have, but it also opens employment up to people who might not otherwise be able to apply,” Budak said.

Coalition members are opposing a proposal to restructure Iowa’s Early Childhood Iowa system, arguing it could weaken local control and disrupt services for low-income families. At the same time, they support efforts to draw down additional federal funds for child welfare, provided existing community-based structures are preserved.

Advocates said the day’s message to lawmakers is straightforward: child care is foundational to Iowa’s workforce and economy, and sustained investment is needed to keep providers operating and families working.

Comments: (319) 398-8499; tom.barton@thegazette.com