They're too busy banning books, targeting librarians (most of whom are women), and harassing transgender girls.
No wonder Iowa has a child care crisis.
Headline from Des Moines Register
Statewide, the number of child care programs has declined substantially even as fees have risen to the point they can exceed college tuition.
From 2011 to 2021, the number of child care facilities decreased 56%, available spaces dropped 6.5%, and the number of programs that accept students receiving state child care assistance dropped 60%, according to the Iowa Child Care Resource & Referral program.
Over the same period the average cost of infant care increased 44% to more than $11,400 at licensed child care facilities, according to the program, which is privately run but receives state support. That's almost 15% more than the $9,942 in-state tuition at the University of Iowa. [emphasis added]
All aboard the GOP Lip Service Express!
Iowa House Speaker Pat Grassley said he's proud of the actions taken so far, but that the problem isn't solved.
"We’re working on addressing the workforce crisis in Iowa, and a big part of that includes addressing child care," the New Hartford Republican said through a spokesperson. "There’s no one solution that will solve Iowa’s child care crisis in rural or urban areas. But we’ve taken a lot of action with this General Assembly to tackle the crisis from multiple angles."
Blah, blah, blah.
Pat, it doesn't take a CFO to figure out that cost and access are the major factors.
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