A study presented to the Ames City Council reveals that workforce shortages, not physical space, are the main barrier to expanding child care in Story County. The study, led by United Way of Story County, found that many providers already have the physical space to serve more children but cannot open additional classrooms because they don’t have enough employees to meet state staffing ratios.

Key Findings

The study found that Story County has about 5,360 children ages 5 and younger and about 4,130 licensed child care spaces. Among parents surveyed, 44% said they waited three to six months for child care, while 21% reported waiting six to 12 months. About half of the parents said they spend up to $1,500 per month per child on care, and 43% said child care challenges have affected their ability to work.

The study also found that infant and toddler care remains in the shortest supply. Researchers surveyed more than 1,200 people, including parents, child care providers, and Iowa State University faculty, staff, and students, to better understand the community’s child care challenges.

Providers who responded to the survey said recruiting and retaining employees remains their biggest challenge. Many rely on Iowa State students as workers, leading to frequent turnover as students graduate or change class schedules.

The report found that middle-income families often face the greatest financial strain because they earn too much to qualify for assistance but still struggle to afford care. Researchers said the median Story County family spends about 15% of its income on child care, more than double the federal affordability benchmark of 7%.

Rather than recommending more child care facilities alone, the report calls for long-term strategies to strengthen the workforce. Recommendations include creating a countywide child care leadership collaborative made up of business, government, and community leaders, as well as exploring funding models that combine public, private, and nonprofit support.

Original reporting: KCCI Des Moines — read the source article.