Senator Wiener’s (District 45) February 2025 newsletter updates Iowa’s childcare crisis.

Also in the newsletter, Senator Weiner mentions a disruption of delivery of Meals on Wheels. Please read the partially quoted newsletter below.

I encourage every one of you to get on the email lists of your elected officials and then share the information you receive, as I am doing right now.

From the Desk of Senator Weiner Week four at the Iowa Legislature in the books. It can be challenging to focus on our work in Des Moines, given the torrent of actions in Washington. Yet that is our job, and we will do our best both to maintain that focus and to highlight times when what’s happening in Washington has a direct impact on Iowans. [Edited from full newsletter] Second, with respect to actions in Washington that have an impact here in Iowa, if you have stories – if your grant funding for a non-profit has been halted; if your Meals on Wheels program has been impacted; if your NIH grant funding has been curtailed; if your federally-funded soybean shipment has hit a snag; if your payment from USDA for conservation-related measures has been paused – or any one of hundreds of things that could be happening – please let us know. You can contact me at Janice.weiner@legis.iowa.gov. I am all for rooting out waste, and all for efficiency, but it needs to be done in accordance with the rule of law and the U.S. Constitution. Third, with respect to the topic covered below, addressing Iowa’s childcare crisis, it’s important to note that the program that helped seven communities create 275 new childcare slots this past year was a one-year pilot program, funded with a combination of $3 million in ARPA funds and private funds. ARPA funds are one-time dollars. This program worked, raising wages and creating slots. This is not the time to stop. That’s why we are proposing doubling the size of the program, keeping it as a public-private partnership (similar to the JoCo program that was established separately), and using general funds dollars to fund it. It is an investment in our future and will pay us back by creating more quality, affordable childcare slots so our kids can learn and grow and allowing their parents to return to the workforce. We’re not there yet, but this week, I recommend you read the childcare section. We’ll be rolling out an economic agenda item each week, and that’s what we did with childcare this past week.   Addressing Iowa’s Childcare Crisis This week, in an effort to tackle an ongoing crisis that affects Iowa’s children, families, and workers alike, my colleagues and I are turning our attention toward one of Iowa’s most persistent issues: childcare. Childcare is one of the single-largest expenses in the monthly budget for any growing family. Full-time care for an infant, for example, can rival annual in-state tuition at one of our Regents’ universities. A lack of robust childcare options represents a significant barrier for parents looking to re-enter the workforce and for Iowa businesses hoping to recruit and retain the state’s top talent. At present, there is a roughly 50,000-slot gap between Iowa’s available supply of childcare options and its current demand. And, according to data from the Center for American Progress, nearly a quarter of Iowans live in a childcare desert. For rural families, that number expands to 35%. Simply put, there are not enough affordable and accessible childcare options in the state to adequately serve Iowa’s families. In order to tackle Iowa’s childcare crisis, Senate Democrats are introducing a legislative package to address two critical elements of the childcare equation: lowering costs and expanding accessibility. To start, I have signed on to co-sponsor legislation designed to help Iowans afford childcare by expanding eligibility for state assistance to thousands of working families who do not currently qualify. Raising income eligibility from 160% of the Federal Poverty Level to 200% (and up to 240% for families requiring special needs care) will help more Iowa families access childcare and lower families’ monthly costs. Another step in expanding eligibility and accessibility involves guaranteeing state childcare assistance as families grow. To that end, I am supporting the following two proposals: The first ensures that children under 18 who have a child of their own are automatically qualified to receive state childcare assistance, instead of having to rely on their parents’ income to qualify. (SF122) The second allows siblings to automatically qualify, ensuring parents can continue to access childcare assistance while their family grows. Finally, in order to address Iowa’s ongoing struggle to grow and maintain childcare capacity, I am supporting a proposal designed to raise wages for childcare workers, allowing childcare centers to maintain staffing levels, improve affordability, and expand capacity. The proposal would double investment in the state’s current Child Care Solutions Fund pilot program. For every private dollar raised from the community, the state will provide two matching dollars. Investing in our childcare workforce is critical to expanding our capacity for care and lowering costs for Iowa families. Childcare isn’t a partisan issue. It affects folks of every demographic and ideology. Together, we can create a better deal for Iowans, provide greater economic security for Iowa families, and reduce the structural barriers for Iowa’s workers all at the same time by finally adequately addressing Iowa’s childcare crisis.

I urge you to maintain contact with your elected officials. Let them know your concerns. Be courteous. Remember the old saying, “You catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar.”

It usually takes about 2 weeks for a senator’s staff to respond back to an email. That email will address where work is being done related to my question.

This is Malika Bourne encouraging you to make good choices.

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