Ernst, Grassley Hold Childcare Roundtable, Announce Legislation to Address Critical Shortage of Childcare in Iowa

 U.S. Senators Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), a senior member of the Senate Small Business Committee, and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) today hosted a childcare roundtable with Iowa business leaders to discuss the critical need for childcare in communities across the state. During the roundtable, Senators Ernst and Grassley highlighted their new bipartisan legislation to expand access to childcare for small businesses and their employees. The bipartisan legislation is also cosponsored by Senator Gary Peters (D-MI) and Tim Scott (R-SC).

According to a report by the Des Moines Register, the number of childcare facilities in Iowa has decreased, while costs of care have increased. There are roughly three children per every one childcare slot in Iowa. In an effort to address this issue, Senators Ernst and Grassley introduced the bipartisan Childcare DESERTS Act, which would allow small businesses to provide childcare services to their employees by utilizing capital access loan programs through the Small Business Administration (SBA).