Afton childcare access threatened by proposed bill

AFTON - State legislation changes to Early Childhood Center funding challenges the East Union School District and their operation of childcare services in their community. If the current version of the bill passes, East Union could lose grant opportunities which the district has received since the ‘90s.

The Infant Toddler Center received its first update to the board since opening in March. Enrollment was determined based on four categories. Infants saw five out of their eight slots enrolled (four on the waiting list following birth). Mobile infants had five enrolled with two on “drop in” status (irregular attendance based on schedule) out of eight slots. Toddlers had six enrolled out of 10 slots and 2.5 year olds had 11 enrolled with two on “drop in” out of 16 slots.

Superintendent Tim Kuehl said these numbers were “a good start” for the infant toddler center.

ECC Director Peggy Hardy was absent from the meeting, but her written report was read during the regular meeting on Monday, March 24.

After the enrollment numbers, Hardy’s report explained how two sources of funding for ECC projects, Shared Visions and Wrap Around grants, could receive funding changes which disqualify East Union from further funding. East Union has received Shared Visions grants since 1993 and Wrap Around grants since 1994.

The bill which changes these funding opportunities, SF 445, was proposed by Governor Kim Reynolds in an effort to fund early childhood care in communities where access to these services are limited. The bill also creates a new initiative program, the Early Childhood Continuum of Care, which defines childcare and preschool services and could award districts up to $100,000 annually over a three-year period to qualifying districts.

That program will join both Shared Visions and Wrap Around grants as funding opportunities to at-risk communities and can be vital by providing Child Care Assistance pay to families with children attending preschool, reducing costs for enrollment. Both Shared Visions and Wrap Around would share the definitions established by the Early Childhood Continuum of Care.

Due to the operation of the infant toddler center and ECC’s preschool programing, East Union serves two roles in early childhood care, preschool and childcare. This is a problem when analyzing the proposed funding changes, which were drafted in the hopes of preschools partnering with independent childcare partners in the community. Due to East Union serving both roles, they would disqualify for these grants.

To exacerbate issues, East Union’s Infant Toddler Center is the only entity serving childcare in the community. There would be no other independent organization or option for the district to partner with in order to receive these grants.

“They want us to partner with a private entity, which we don’t have in our district,” Hardy said. “We ARE the licensed childcare facility in our community. We did this to meet the needs of our district and provided what the Early Childhood Continuum of Care grant opportunity is trying to provide for everyone. And we aren’t eligible.”

Kuehl proposed an idea to merge Pre-K programs into East Union Elementary’s purview, allowing the ECC and elementary to operate different roles. The superintendent hoped the changing definition was a mistake which legislation can fix, knowing how communities like East Union can be damaged from the changes.

“I think it’s one of those unintended consequence things where they’re trying to do something good,” Kuehl said. “Inadvertently, it’s hurting some of us who have already been doing it.”

Hardy encouraged advocacy to local legislators, naming four in her report: Iowa Senator Tom Shipley and Iowa Representatives Devon Wood, Tom Moore and Tracy Ehlert.