More Iowa families will be eligible for child care assistance payments under a bill signed Thursday by Gov. Kim Reynolds.
Surrounded by kids at a Fort Dodge child care center, Reynolds said the bill would ”help expand access to high-quality child care.”
The law increases income limits for the state assistance program. But a child's parent or guardian must work or participate in an approved educational or training program for 32 hours a week to qualify — four hours more than previously required.
Democratic lawmakers criticized the additional hours.
"I'm really disappointed that, when we do just one slightly positive thing, the governor slaps another work requirement on young families," Sen. Janet Petersen, D-Des Moines, said in May 2 floor debate.
Democrats supported the legislation regardless, passing the bill with near-unanimous support.
Reynolds told reporters Thursday that the work requirement increase was ”really, really minimal” and meant to address the workforce shortage in Iowa.
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The new eligibility requirements will increase monthly enrollment in the program by about 2,656 children, according to an estimate from the nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency. Currently, an average of 17,680 children receive child care assistance.
Iowa's child care centers will receive a larger stipend for accepting those kids. The law increases...
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