Iowa

The Child and Family Policy (CPFC) is a research and advocacy organization that links research and policy on issues vital to children and families. They are a regular presence in the state capitol. CPFC evaluates health and child and family systems, conducts research to advance programs and policies, and provides technical assistance in policy development, research, and analysis.

State Allies:

Top Priorities for 2021

Address barriers that take basic support (i.e., food, health care, work reporting requirements) away from struggling families.

Direct Legislative Services Agency (LSA) to conduct racial impact analysis of proposed legislation as part of each fiscal note.

Increase the child care assistance (CCA) family eligibility level to 18 percent of FPL to support more low-income families.

Iowa’s 2020 Early Childhood Policy Landscape and Progress:

$7.64B STATE BUDGET
Estimated FY20 State General Fund Expenditures

ALIGNED GOVERNMENT
House (R), Senate (R)
Governor (R)

35% LOW-INCOME
126,195 Young Children (0-8) are Below 200% FPL

The beginning of session was very bright with the introduction of several child care bills. Five of those bills passed the Republican-controlled House. However, the session came to a quick halt in March. When the legislature reconvened in June, the Senate failed to take up any of those bills, citing the dire budget.

S2299 provides for background checks for employees and students of certain facilities, providers, programs, and agencies (NCSL).
4.7 percent increase in FY20 General Funds for pre-k over FY19. There was an overall increase in pre-k from state and federal sources combined (Mincic, 2020).
Pressured the legislature and governor to provide the first increase in TANF funding in over 20 years.
Helped ensure zero cuts to critical programs for children and families despite a tough budget year.

*Early childhood policy progress in a state is the result of numerous efforts — by those listed on this page and many others — who worked both independently and collaboratively to achieve wins for young children.

State Budget Data: National Association of State Budget Officers (NASBO), “Table 4: Fiscal 2020 State General Fund, Estimated (Millions); The Fiscal Survey of the States.” Spring, 2020

Low-Income Data (including disaggregation by race): National Center for Children in Poverty, “NCCP Analysis of ACS 1-year Estimates—Public Use Microdata Sample, 2019.”

State Action Data: Provided by state advocates, October-November 2020, with analysis and synthesis by Frontera Strategy for Alliance for Early Success, “Protecting Progress and Investing in Scale: The 2020 50-State Progress Report on Early Childhood Education Policy.”

Additional State Actions: Mincic, Melissa, Early Care and Education, State Budget Actions, Fiscal Year 2020. National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), October 2020.

The Alliance for Early Success is achieving large-scale, long-lasting change for the state’s young children by providing our allies with powerful advantages that help them shape Iowa early childhood state policy.

Strategic, Outcomes-Focused Investments

Consulting and Strategy

Technical Support from National Expertise

Rapid Response Support

Connections/Access to Allies in Similar States

Roles in National Communities of Practice