CORALVILLE, IOWA (January 28, 2021) — Under the leadership of the Iowa Women’s Foundation (IWF), business leaders from across the state have collaborated to identify business-focused solutions that address the lack of quality, affordable child-care in Iowa — a barrier to workforce participation, especially for women.
“Iowa had a workforce gap before the pandemic. Now, it’s even wider,” says Dawn Oliver Wiand, CEO of the Iowa Women’s Foundation. “One of the quickest ways we can close the gap is by creating and supporting access to child care.”
The Iowa Business and Child Care Coalition (IBCCC) seeks to apply business-based solutions to the child-care shortage while addressing additional challenges created by the pandemic. The Coalition is gearing up to release a Business Toolkit, which will outline policies and programs that can help companies alleviate the shortage and increase employees’ access to care.
“The Coalition has brought together businesses and experts who have either implemented child care as an employee benefit or who are exploring how they can collaborate to support the child care industry and their own employees,” says Nancy Lynk Lowenberg, Co-chair of the Coalition. “We’ve brought together some of the best and most creative thinkers to develop the toolkit and we’re excited to get it into the hands of businesses of all sizes.”
IWF has developed a resource page for companies interested in exploring the spectrum of solutions. Here, business leaders can find the toolkit in print-friendly formats, or order the kit free of charge, including in larger quantities for business associations or groups exploring this issue. Interested groups can also request a presentation from the Iowa Women’s Foundation on the Business and Child Care Solutions Toolkit.
Governor Kim Reynolds, as well as business associations across the state, have made child care a priority this year, with the Governor including it as a part of her Economic Recovery Plan, which is slated for release by the end of January.
“It’s gratifying to convene businesses, communities, and stakeholders in discussions around how to quickly address this barrier to women’s economic success,” says Wiand. “Our partners in this work have made all the difference in changing the future of our state’s economy.”
To see a full list of Iowa Business and Child Care Coalition members and organizations, or to access the Business & Child Care Toolkit, visit iawf.org/business.
The Iowa Women’s Foundation is a 501(C)3 non-profit organization, committed to improving the lives of Iowa’s women and girls through a diversified mix of funding and action: research, grant-making, advocacy, education, and collaboration. To achieve its goals and make the most significant impact, IWF brings together and invests in organizations across Iowa that make women and girls more successful. IWF is the only state-wide organization working to enhance and improve women’s economic self-sufficiency. To learn more about IWF, please visit www.iawf.org.
