Rural Child Care Planning Program

The Rural Child Care Planning Program seeks to support the use of data and analysis by rural communities to determine the specific needs and solutions for child care in their area. Donor Name: Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) State: Iowa County: All Counties Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: (mm/dd/yyyy) 08/30/2024 Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000 Grant Duration: 2 Years Details: Child care is a challenge across rural communities in Iowa and across the nation. However, the solutions are often more complicated than the construction of a new facility. Many factors need to be carefully analyzed to determine the feasibility for development of a child care center, expansion of an existing one or support for in-home providers. Through greater understanding of their geographic market, demographics, competition, financials, and other factors, communities can be armed with the information needed to take proactive steps towards addressing child care challenges. Funding from the program will empower communities to assess their current child care environment and develop strategies. The program, defined in Iowa Administrative Code, is administered by the Center for Rural Revitalization, a division of the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA), in consultation with the Governor’s Empower Rural Iowa Initiative Task Forces. Funding Information Grant Recipients will be awarded $20,000. Grant Period All project activities and incurred expenses must occur within the eligible contracted funding period of October 1, 2024 – June 30, 2026. Uses of funds  The program provides funding for planning initiatives addressing child care needs through a professional third party partner. Eligible Project Requirements Requirements for Rural Child Care Planning Grant awards include, but are not limited to the following: Applicants must demonstrate the capacity for grants administration. Applications must provide 1:1/2 cash match. Applications must agree to contract with a professional third-party partner for completion of the market study and strategic goals. Applicant communities must identify the third-party organization in their application that will conduct the planning process.  Eligibility Criteria Iowa businesses, colleges and universities, city or county government, federally tax-exempt nonprofit agencies and foundations Projects/programs must exist in and benefit a community in Iowa with a population of 20,000 or fewer and not contiguous to a city with a population of 40,000 or greater. If a countywide project, must be in one of the 88 least populous counties. For more information, visit IEDA.