Davenport, IOWA – According to the statement, the launch included increased child care assistance rates, stipends to speed up COVID-19 recovery efforts and enhancements to educational opportunities for child care providers.
Iowa is partnering with the University of Iowa Department of Education to allocate $20 million of federal relief funds to the initiative’s use.
This initiative also includes the launch of the Iowa Center for School Mental Health, which works to help providers address the mental health needs of students.
The program is also intended to help close the gap in literacy rates between white students and students of color which widened during the pandemic.
Students will see the initiative in action this fall.
This story will be updated when new information is available.