4rkidsearlychildhoodiowa

The 4 R Kids ECI area board provides funding for multiple projects that serve families with children under the age of 5.  The agencies that recieve funding are in the process of making YouTube videos to share with the public.  More will be added in the next few weeks.

Child Care Resource & Referral

Lutheran Services in Iowa with the New Parent Program

Iowa AEYC with the WAGE$ program.

Resources for COVID-19 Response

There have been many on-going updates regarding Iowa’s response to COVID-19. Updates and information is continuously being provided through the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH), the Iowa Department of Human Services, Child Care Resource and Referral, and Iowa Workforce Development. To stay informed with the most current information the following websites are the best resources available with data-informed and current information:

• Cloth Face Coverings and Face Shield Sources for School Systems-Aug2020
• Other Covid-19 resources from Iowa State University
• Updates from IDPH regarding Novel Coronavirus
• Updates and Guidance from IDPH for Family Support Programs
• Updates and Child Care Availability Map from the Iowa Department of Human Services
• Child Care Guidance from Child Care Resource and Referral
• Print Resources from the CDC
• Statista – Coronavirus (COVID-19) disease pandemic statistics & facts
• Covid Recovery Menu
• Small Business Utility Disruption PreventionProgram
• Mental Health Resources
• Pandemic Employment Assistance

Internet and Data Access

Knowing that some families may have limited data packages with their mobile carriers, programs may need to assist families in accessing expanded services. The Federal Communication Commission’s Keep America Connected Pledge has more than 60 companies signed on to help low-income people avoid service disruptions during the COVID-19 emergency.

Self Care Resources

• Mental Health and Coping During COVID-19 | CDC
• Talking to Children About COVID-19 (Coronavirus): A Parent Resource
• Managing Stress and Anxiety – COVID-19 (General recommendations with sub-population guidance)

Five Tips for Managing Remotely During COVID-19

ACEs Connection has developed this guide for providing telehealth during the COVID-19 crisis, including technology you can use, legal considerations, and best practices for conducting sessions.

The 4 R Kids ECI area board is supporting the Association of Early Childhood Iowa Area Boards and Advocates legislative agenda for 2020.

AECIAB&A Legislative Agenda

Fiscal Year 2021 Legislative Agenda

• Support a comprehensive and integrated early care, health and education system for the youngest Iowans through funding for Early Childhood Iowa Background: 95% of the architecture of the human brain is established by the day a child turns four. This means that the foundation on which every child’s K-12 instructors will build on is established before four-year-old preschool begins. If Iowans are committed to the success of children in the K-12 system, then we must be committed to developing healthy brain architectures before they enter that system. To accomplish this, we recommend the General Assembly take the following actions:

1. Link the Early Childhood Iowa line item in the Education Budget Bill with the allowable growth rate for the K-12 system.

    2. Use the unspent funding received from the Federal Government through the Child          Care and Development Block Grant to add $500,000 to the allocation to Early                      Childhood Iowa in the Health and Human Services Budget.

• Develop Systemic Solutions to the Childcare Crisis Background: A healthy childcare system is an essential component to a healthy economy. If parents cannot find reliable and affordable childcare, they cannot go to work. According to a report from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, in 2019 the State of Iowa lost $153 million in tax revenue while employers lost $781 million in revenue due to childcare failures. Even before COVID-19, the childcare system was on the brink of collapse across vast swathes of rural Iowa and the urban cores of our major cities. Urgent action is required now more than ever to ensure a strong economic recovery.

Use the unspent funds received from the Federal Government through the Child Care and Development Block Grant to make a multi-million dollar funding increase to Childcare Assistance reimbursement rates to the providers of child care for children enrolled through Iowa’s Child Care Assistance (CCA).

1. Increase Child Care Assistance eligibility to 185% of the federal poverty level or $48,470 of annual income for a family of four.

      2. Increase funding to expand the coverage of the WAGE$ program and its                              workforce development impact beyond the 20 counties currently funded by the                state.

• Develop a statewide Children’s Behavioral Health System that includes Early Childhood Iowa as part of a multi-tiered system of prevention, early identification, early intervention, crisis management, and behavioral health services. Background: Early Childhood Iowa, through local ECI area boards, has been responsible for delivering prevention and early identification services, as well as coordinating early interventions for more than two decades. The developing Children’s Behavioral Health System should build upon the existing structures of the statewide Early Childhood Iowa initiative rather than create costly new entities. The system should treat resource-saving activities like prevention, early identification, and intervention as co-equal priorities to crisis management and the delivery of behavioral health services.

Here is a list of legislators in Adair, Dallas, Madison and Warren County.

Elected Officals in 4 R Kids Area 1-1-21

Keeping checking the legislative website for email addresses of new legislators. 

Here are compelling talking points and information to educate the public and policy makers about the importance of quality early childhood programming.

Iowa’s Child Care Shortage

Iowa’s Preschool Access

Iowa’s Family Support Status

Cost of Living In Iowa

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.

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 FY20

Federal Poverty Guidlines FY19

Federal poverty guidelines 18

Preschool Scholarships are available for children living in Adair, Dallas, Madison or Warren County. Preschool Scholarships are located on the Iowa state University Extension Dallas County website.