Iowa Dept. of Education grants $600,000 to schools to expand child care programs
The $600,000 grant will be split among 9 different districts.
TIFFIN, Iowa (KCRG) - The Iowa Department of Education has split a $600,000 grant across nine different school districts; the goal is to help expand child care programming in the district.
The Clear Creek Amana School District is one of the recipients with $75,000 they’ll be partnering with nearby daycare centers to give students hands-on experience. The money also allows them to afford specialized testing and certification trainings for students.
”We don’t want students in the building all day, we want them out exploring different careers,” Megan Overholser said.
A survey at Clear Creek Amana High School showed more than 140 students were interested in a program like this. It’s also exciting for teachers as some tough lessons can’t be taught in the classroom.
“What a good experience it is for students to be in the classroom and then go get to take all of their learning and put it into action,” Overholser said.
The rest of the funding is going to expand their childcare programs by paying for learning tools for students and facilitating state-level tests. Those students could also earn the nationally recognized Child Development Associate Certification at the end of class.
The Iowa City Community School District is also a recipient of the grant. They’re doing a similar push by collaborating with local daycares. Dominic Audia says the funding will help further implement state guidelines.
”Our role will be to weave that curriculum into our existing framework,” Audia said. ”I think it’s great because it really aligns with our philosophy and we started really looking at internships and apprenticeships in the last couple of years.”
Addressing a gap for child care workers and facilities in Iowa has been a major priority for Governor Kim Reynolds.
This is the full list of recipients:
- Central Lyon Community School District
- Charles City Community School District
- Clear Creek Amana Community School District
- Des Moines Public Schools
- Harlan Community School District
- Iowa City Community School District
- LeMars Community School District
- Marshalltown Community School District
- Woodbine Community School District
Copyright 2025 KCRG. All rights reserved.