May 10, 2024
Dear Child Care Providers,
In honor of Child Care Provider Appreciation Day® on May 10, 2024, we want to thank you and extend our appreciation for the care you provide for children and families in Iowa. Early care and education can be a very rewarding career, but does not come without challenges. We want to make sure you’re aware of the supports available to you. Below are some of the tools and resources HHS funds to support your success.
Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) can help with many things including registration and licensing, emergency preparedness, health and safety compliance, IQ4K® and managing challenging behaviors. In State Fiscal Year 2023 CCR&R provided:
HHS recently supported eligible child care facilities with stipends ranging from $14,000 to $63,000. These funds are the last of American Rescue Plan Act funding available directly for child care providers to meet health and safety regulations and for the recruitment and retention of staff. More information on eligible use of funding can be found in the FAQ.
We are happy to announce that Governor Reynolds signed HF2658 into law on May 1, 2024. This legislation increases provider rates to the 2023 Market Rate, along with extending the Child Care Pilot until June 30, 2025. We are also happy to share that we are able to continue to fund monthly software license fees for Child Care Management Systems, Playground or brightwheel, and Financial Management Coaching (FMC) with technology grants through the Child Care Collaborative of Iowa (CCCI) through June 30, 2025. CCCI has a number of resources available on their website, at no cost to you including the business library.
Iowa Quality for Kids (IQ4K®) is officially 2 years old! Congratulations to all 311 licensed child care centers and 222 Child Development Homes who have committed to continuous quality improvement by working to achieve a rating in Iowa’s Quality Rating and Improvement System.
Thank you for your ongoing partnership and willingness to provide services to Iowa’s children. Communities cannot thrive without access to child care services and we would not be able to do that without you.
Sincerely,
Ryan Page Director of Child Care Iowa Department of Health and Human Services
HHS Letter
Tags: hhs , provider appreciation
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