Abstract of document information

Iowa is home to a skilled, highly qualified workforce with an unbeatable work ethic. This workforce is critical to the state’s continued economic growth and prosperity. And yet too many working parents struggle to find quality, affordable child care for their children while they work. Indeed, Iowa is a national leader in the share of households with all parents working, but has too few options for child care: 23 percent of Iowans — and nearly 35 percent of rural Iowans — live in a “child care desert,” or an area with a shortage of licensed providers. Moreover, at an average monthly cost of $1,031, child care is more expensive than housing for the average Iowa family.