4rkidsearlychildhoodiowa

Gov. Kim Reynolds issued a disaster proclamation in response to flooding and flash flooding beginning March 13 and continuing.

The governor’s proclamation allows state resources to be utilized to respond to and recover from the effects of this severe weather across the entire state and activates the Iowa Individual Assistance Grant Program for qualifying residents, along with the Disaster Case Management Program for the following counties: Adair, Bremer, Buena Vista, Butler, Cerro Gordo, Cherokee, Clay, Clayton, Crawford, Dallas, Delaware, Dickinson, Emmet, Fayette, Franklin, Fremont, Guthrie, Hancock, Hardin, Harrison, Humboldt, Ida, Iowa, Kossuth, Mills, Monona, Montgomery, O’Brien, Page, Palo Alto, Plymouth, Pottawattamie, Shelby, Sioux, Tama, Webster, Winnebago, Winneshiek, Woodbury, Worth, and Wright.

The Iowa Individual Assistance Grant Program provides grants of up to $5,000 for households with incomes up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level or a maximum annual income of $41,560 for a family of three. Grants are available for home or car repairs, replacement of clothing or food and temporary housing expenses. Original receipts are required for those seeking reimbursement for actual expenses related to storm recovery. The grant application and instructions are available on the Iowa Department of Human Services website. Potential applicants have 45 days from the date of the proclamation to submit a claim.

The 4 R Kids ECI board sponsors family friendly activitites that focuses on families with children under the age of 5. Below is the dates of the events.

Adair County -April 15, 2019 at 5:00 – Toddlerfest at Nodaway Valley Elementary School

Warren County  – April 27, 2019 at 2:00 – Pete the Cat Meet and Greet at the New Virginia Library

Dallas County – May 4, 2019 at 10:00 – Toddlerfest at the Dallas County Fairgrounds

Madison County – June 24, 2019 at 10:30, 11:30 and 12:30 – Discovery Dome at The Winterset Library

New county data snapshots from Iowa Kids Count take a deeper dive into the data, which outline 20 indicators of child and family health and well-being in every Iowa county. Our aim is to provide policymakers, educators, advocates, practitioners and engaged Iowans with the tools to make informed decisions around child and family issues.

Mental Health: Mind Matters aims to build greater understanding of the importance of mental health and create a safe space for meaningful conversations about mental illness. Hands-on exhibit experiences bring you closer to facts, feelings and issues surrounding this significant topic.

Special Exhibition: February 5 – April 28, 2019 Presented locally by HealthPartners UnityPoint Health.

https://www.sciowa.org/visit/traveling-exhibit/mental-health-mind-matters/

There is a special presentation related to early childhood too on April 8th!

Early Childhood Iowa has posted the FY2018 annual report.  You can access the report by going here.

Here is a list of legislators that represent Adair, Dallas, Madison, or Warren County.

Elected Officals in 4 R Kids Area 1-14-19

Here is a website to locate your legislator

Legislator Lookup

Here is a handy website to track bills regarding children and families

Bill Tracker

The 4 R Kids Early Childhood Iowa Area board has drafted their FY19 legislative agenda. 2019 Legislative Agenda

The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is designed to assist low income families meet the cost of home heating. Applications are accepted on a first come/first served basis at your local community action agency from November 1 through April 30 (October 1 for households with elderly/disabled member), Monday through Friday, or as posted at the local community action office.  For more information on income requirements go here.  For more information as to where to apply for LIHEAP go here.

The U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 5-year Estimates (2012-2016) has issued data regarding the perecnt of households with children under age 6 with all parents in the workforce as well as the percent of households with children ages 6 -17 with all parents in the household in the labor force.

Below is a spreadsheet for each county.

Percent_Households_with_all_parents_in_workforce_by_county

2-1-1 Counts is a web-based tool to provide real-time, searchable, and visual presentations of data about community-specific needs of vulnerable populations. 2-1-1 Counts displays a count of 2-1-1 callers’ most pressing needs in usable form and reports data at the ZIP code, region, or call center level as recently as yesterday.  2-1-1 Counts enables users to check trends, make comparisons, and share information.

2-1-1 Counts enriches the dialogue in communities – especially among leaders – by calling attention to a wide range of factors that compromise the health and well-being of poor individuals and families.

Click here to see the most pressing needs in your community.

Below are the new federal poverty guidelines.

Federal poverty guidelines 18

Preschool Scholarships are available for children living in Adair, Dallas, Madison or Warren County. The Preschool Scholarships are located on the Warren County ISU Extension website or you can click Preschool Scholarships.