We are excited to announce that both Linking Families and Communities and Child Care Discovery Center have been awarded funding through the Future Ready Iowa Child Care Challenge Fund. The fund, which is administered by Iowa Workforce Development (IWD), is part of Governor Kim Reynold's Future Ready Iowa initiative. There was a large response to the grant opportunity. IWD partnered with the Iowa Department of Human Services (DHS), which provided fund through the Investing in Iowa's Child Care program (IICC) to expand the amount of money available through the grant application process. The goal of the combined grant program is to encourage and enable businesses, nonprofit organizations, and consortiums to establish local child care facilities and increase the availability of quality, affordable child care for working Iowans.
To that end, Linking Families and Communities submitted an application on behalf of Community Early Childhood Center, which is located at 1315 S. 24th Street, Fort Dodge. The center is planning a four classroom expansion, which will increase their capacity by 56 child care spaces. The award of $330,600 will be utilized for equipment and furnishings of the new classrooms and replacement of furnishings/equipment and repairs of the existing classrooms/facility.
Child Care Discovery Center also submitted an application as the building in which they are currently located has been purchased by Nestle Purina Petcare. The center is planning to build a new center near Rosedale Rapids Aquatic Center. The grant award of $734,837 will be used to fund and furnish the new center, which will provide approximately 250 child care spaces.