The Iowa Department of Education recently approved 10 community-based providers to deliver services to young learners and their families through the Statewide Voluntary Preschool Program (SWVPP) for Four-Year Old Children initiative.
“This new opportunity for community-based providers helps to expand preschool access and foster learning and development with Iowa’s young children,” said Kimberly Villotti, chief of the Department’s Bureau of Early Childhood. “The Statewide Voluntary Preschool Program is an important step in our state’s comprehensive early childhood efforts, bringing more opportunities to local communities for young learners to grow, thrive and set a foundation for future success. We commend these 10 new grantees for their commitment to early childhood initiatives.”
The newly approved community-based provider grantees for 2026-27 include the following:
- Cedar Valley Catholic Schools Early Childhood Center, Waterloo
- Diamond Star, Waterloo
- Holy Trinity Catholic Early Childhood Center, Fort Madison and West Point (5 total locations)
- Joyful Sparks Preschool, Afton
- Little Lambs Preschool at Mount Olive Lutheran School, Des Moines
- New Horizon Academy, Pella
- Orange City Christian School, Orange City
- St. James Catholic Elementary School, Washington
- St. Patrick Catholic School, Perry
- Unity Ridge Lutheran School, Denison
SWVPP provides Iowa’s four-year old children with a high-quality foundation for future learning by expanding access to preschool opportunities. Community-based providers contribute to Iowa’s statewide effort by ensuring children and families have access to high-quality early learning options within their local communities.
To be eligible for the SWVPP opportunity, community-based providers were required to demonstrate readiness in implementing a high-quality preschool program, including the following expectations:
- Employing an appropriately licensed preschool teacher
- Providing an indoor and outdoor learning environment in alignment with approved program standards
- Implementing the required SmartTeach GOLD Assessment System
- Maintaining a student information system to meet state enrollment and reporting requirements
The 10 community-based providers join 324 Iowa school districts that also offer early childhood opportunities through the SWVPP initiative.
House File 2754 established a new opportunity for eligible community-based providers to apply directly to the Department to provide the SWVPP program. Beginning with the 2026-27 school year, approved providers may operate an independent SWVPP program while meeting state requirements for high-quality preschool programming, accountability and reporting. The legislation also directs the State Board of Education to establish requirements for provider readiness, data collection and professional development to support successful program implementation.
For more information, visit the Department’s Statewide Voluntary Preschool Program webpage. Specific questions may be directed to Mary Breyfogle, administrative consultant, at [email protected].