DES MOINES — The Iowa Department of Education today awarded nine additional Iowa school districts nearly $600,000 in competitive grants following a successful pilot program last summer. The grants support districts in aligning family and consumer science programs with student attainment of a national child development credential. The Credentials to Child Care Careers grant leverages school-community partnerships to expand access to child care while supporting high school students earning a Child Development Associate credential.
“It’s important to recognize the connection between child care and a successful workforce,” said Governor Reynolds. “Parents need a child care solution that meets the demands of their busy lives and we need to grow and support strong local solutions. I commend each of these nine district awardees for their forward-looking approach to prepare young Iowans to be career ready upon graduation, while also supporting local businesses in building their workforce pipeline.”
The following nine school districts were awarded a Credentials To Child Care Careers grant through this latest round of funding:
- Central Lyon Community School District
- Charles City Community School District
- Clear Creek Amana Community School District
- Des Moines Public Schools
- Harlan Community School District
- Iowa City Community School District
- LeMars Community School District
- Marshalltown Community School District
- Woodbine Community School District
“We were proud to partner with five school districts last summer to create and grow programs that empower students to earn an in-demand child care credential while building a child care workforce pipeline that is of and for local communities,” said Iowa Department of Education Director McKenzie Snow. “Informed by the success of these programs last fall, we opened this opportunity statewide to support more school districts in strengthening pathways to in-demand child development careers for students while supporting working families.”
The Child Development Associate (CDA) credential is a nationally recognized credential in early childhood education awarded by the Council for Professional Recognition, a leader in the credentialing of early childhood educators worldwide. Obtaining the CDA credential requires coursework, experience in the field and a demonstration assessment during which the student is observed while working with children.
“We are excited to see the interest from districts in strengthening their child care workforce, both from a career and technical education perspective that prepares students for careers in early childhood education, and from a community development lens to address a priority topic in many Iowa communities,” said Kimberly Villotti, Early Childhood Bureau Chief at the Iowa Department of Education. “Our early childhood and career and technical education teams at the Department look forward to supporting these local partnerships, which will provide even more families with young children with expanded access to high-quality child care options.”
District awardees will receive course curriculum that meets both the professional development requirements outlined by Iowa Health and Human Services for employees of Iowa licensed child care centers and the classroom requirements for a CDA credential. Additionally, districts can use their grant awards to cover allowable costs, such as student exam fees, textbooks, CDA course materials, student stipends, licensed child care partner stipends, and other approved expenses that help remove barriers to participation.
Five school districts were previously awarded grants to implement programs during the 2024-25 and 2025-26 school years. In total, over $730,000 in Credentials to Child Care Careers grants have been awarded to school districts across the state.
More information about the Credentials to Child Care Careers Grant is available on the Iowa Department of Education’s website on the Industry-Recognized Credentials page.