Child care is the backbone of Iowa’s workforce

As the 2026 Iowa legislative session is in full swing, I have issues that are top of mind for me.

The biggest one is child care. My husband and I both work full time, often odd hours. We wouldn’t be able to manage life with 7-month-old Eliza without Greater Connections Childhood Development Center.

We are fortunate enough to be able to afford child care, but many cannot. A TOOTRiS analysis found the average annual cost of infant care in Iowa is $12,168. That number is up nearly $2,000 from 2023’s cost of $10,378.

“Families with three to four kids end up paying between $20,000 to $30,000 for child care every year,” the study states. “For comparison, infant care costs more than in-state tuition at the University of Iowa.”

Despite this, child care workers are underpaid for the work they do as centers struggle just to break even. Rasmussen University reports daycare centers typically have a profit margin of about 5-10%.

Our legislators need to focus on these priorities — ensure everyone has access to quality child care and ensure child care employees are paid at the level they deserve for the vital work they do.

It’s no secret that my husband and I have always planned to move back to Wisconsin to be closer to family. We almost moved a year ago this month. I am now terrified of leaving Creston because I am so happy with the child care Eliza is receiving at Greater Connections. It is truly a draw for this community and a reason for us to stay.

Every day, I drop Eliza off in the morning at the end of the building in the infant rooms. The staff are always so excited to see her and care for her. Eliza loves to watch the other babies and play with all the toys.

Throughout my day, I’m updated with pictures of her playing and eating. I get notifications when she’s fed or has a diaper change. I feel so at peace having her there.

Because of their tireless work and dedication, I’m able to focus on work during the day without worrying about her. It’s essential for my mental health. The fact that some people can’t afford this, or are in a child care desert, is unacceptable.

The Center for American Progress reports 23-35% of Iowans live in a child care desert. Rural Iowa is the most severely impacted. A child care desert is defined as any census tract with more than 50 children under age 5 that has no licensed child care providers, or so few that there are three times as many children as slots.

This is even more of an issue when you factor that there are little to no child care offerings for evenings or weekends. As a sports reporter, I cover evening events. Monday, I strapped Eliza to my chest and brought her to the girls basketball game.

Fortunately, Creston is pretty great, and when I sat down to take a break (she’s getting heavy), she was swooped out of my hands and happily cared for during the rest of the game.

It’s great that we can make it work when necessary, but during the days, Greater Connections provides the essential service to keep us both serving the community full time.

Researchers at the Annie E. Casey Foundation studied the impact of the lack of affordable and accessible child care has on Iowa, estimating it costs the state about $1.1 billion a year in lost earnings and tax revenue.

I love being a mom, and I’ve always wanted to be a mom, but I could not be a stay-at-home mom. For starters, she’s bored at home. On the weekends, she is stir crazy because there’s not enough going on. She wants the hustle and bustle of daycare. She wants the noise, the chaos and the people. By Sunday, I’m ready to go back to work and get her back in daycare.

I feel embarrassed writing that, like it means I don’t even want to be with my own baby. That’s not true, I am so happy to pick her up from daycare every day. But Greater Connections is a benefit in both of our lives.

All of the public child care funding comes through the Child Care Assistance, but it’s based on attendance, not enrollment. So if a child is sick or absent, the daycare doesn’t receive that funding, even though they are still paying the same amount in staffing and operational costs.

Email your state legislators! Ask them to reform this program to enrollment rather than attendance. Ask them to help advance legislation ensuring child care workers are paid appropriately. They are the backbone of our workforce. Ask them to find ways to ensure all families have access to child care.

Tom Shipley - tom.shipley@legis.iowa.gov

Devon Wood - devon.wood@legis.iowa.gov