Johnson Co. broadens support for early education program.

Johnson County Expands Child Care Assistance Program

JOHNSON COUNTY, Iowa — Johnson County is expanding its child care assistance incentive program to help support early education. County supervisors gave the green light after changes were made to eligibility requirements and incentive amounts.

Increased Coverage and Reimbursement

Now, the program will serve kids up to the age of 47 months, which is a little under four years, and provides reimbursements of up to $300 each month for each eligible child.

Addressing Provider and Family Needs

Johnson County Social Services Youth & Family Services Coordinator, Laurie Nash, said the updates will help them address some of the challenges they’ve seen. “When we ask providers about why they might not take child care assistance, the answer is always because it doesn’t reimburse enough, because they lose too much money,” Nash said. “So, based on that, and then talking to families, we kind of took those two needs and put them together.”

Funding and Timeline

The program is being funded by the American Rescue Plan Act with a budget of $575,000. That is expected to last through December 2026.

How to Apply

You can read more about the program and see how to sign up by clicking here. Eligible families will need to go through their child care providers to apply, since the reimbursements are sent directly to qualified providers.