Parents across Iowa are struggling to find childcare providers. | Unsplash
Parents across Iowa are struggling to find childcare providers. | Unsplash
Iowa is in the midst of a child care shortage, with parents returning to work having difficulty in their search for provider to look after their children.
The state’s daycare providers must meet a worker-to-child ratio, or the quantity of children in a room per the number of adults watching, but the shortage has forced limitations to the numbers.
“COVID has really added a whole new layer to the childcare crisis,” Mary Janssen, Children and Family Services Director, told KCRG. “Our biggest struggle right now, I would say, for childcare is our workforce, and just finding ways to recruit and retain the workforce. And we’re not the only industry.”
Janssen added that the childcare community is in “crisis mode.”
KCRG reported that data from Iowa Child Care Resource and Referral shows that the number of registered programs Linn County lost since last year is equivalent to about 80 children losing their care.
Even incentives aren’t enough to successfully address the situation.
KCRG reported that some daycare providers were awarded funding to create more slots, but there aren’t enough workers.
The station additionally reported that one daycare received 14 resignations in the span of five weeks.
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