A bill for an act making children of child care workers in this state eligible for the state child care assistance program. (Formerly HSB 500 .) Effective date: 07/01/2026.

STATE OF IOWA
KIM REYNOLDS
GOVERNOR
April 09, 2026
The Honorable Paul Pate
Secretary of State of Iowa
State Capitol
Des Moines, Iowa 50319
Dear Mr. Secretary,
I hereby transmit:
House File 2514, an Act making children of child care workers in this state eligible for
the state child care assistance program.
The above House File is hereby approved on this date.
Sincerely,
Kim Reynolds I
Governor of Iowa
cc: Secretary of the Senate
Clerk of the House
STATE CAPITOL DES MOINES, IOWA 50319 515.281.5211 WWW.GOVERNOR.IOWA.GOV
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House File 2514
AN ACT
MAKING CHILDREN OF CHILD CARE WORKERS IN THIS STATE ELIGIBLE FOR
THE STATE CHILD CARE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
Section 1. NEW SECTION . 237A.13A State child care
assistance — child care workforce.
1. Notwithstanding any provision of section 237A.13 or
237A.14 to the contrary, a child shall be eligible for the
state child care assistance program established in section
237A.13 if a parent, guardian, or custodian of the child meets
all of the following requirements, as applicable:
a. The parent, guardian, or custodian is employed at a child
care facility or child care home located in this state, and the
child care facility or child care home has an agreement with
the department to accept reimbursement from the state child
care assistance program.
b. The parent, guardian, or custodian works in a child
care facility or child care home located in this state an
average minimum of thirty-two hours per week during the month
in a position with a primary duty of providing child care
directly to children, and is regularly counted in the minimum
child-to-staf f ratio established by the department by rule.
c. (1) If the parent, guardian, or custodian is employed
at a child care home or a child development home, the parent,
guardian, or custodian does not provide child care to the
parent's, guardian's, or custodian's own child.
House File 2514, p. 2
(2) Notwithstanding subparagraph (1), a co-provider at
a child development home may qualify for state child care
assistance if the co-provider meets all requirements specified
in this section and by the department by rule.
d. The parent, guardian, or custodian is not a substitute or
an assistant at a child care home or a child development home.
e. Based on the department's evaluation of the parent's,
guardian s, or custodian's application for state child care
assistance, the department has determined the parent, guardian,
or custodian has a need for child care.
f. The parent, guardian, or custodian is not the owner of
the child care facility or child care home where the parent's,
guardian's, or custodian's child is enrolled.
2. A director, co-director, or other administrative
staff member of a child care facility may qualify for state
child care assistance under subsection 1 if such individual
is regularly counted in the minimum child-to-staf f ratio
established by the department by rule.
3. A parent, guardian, or custodian of a child participating
in the state child care assistance program pursuant to
eligibility established under this section shall make
copayments as specified by the department by rule.
4. No later than December 1 of each year, the department
shall submit a report to the general assembly relating to
participation in the state child care assistance program under
this section. The report must include all of the following:
a. The dollar amount of state moneys spent to reimburse
child care providers during the immediately preceding fiscal
year .
b. The dollar amount of federal moneys spent to reimburse
child care providers during the immediately preceding fiscal
year .
c. The dollar amount of state moneys spent on administrative
costs during the immediately preceding fiscal year.
d. The dollar amount of federal moneys spent on
administrative costs during the immediately preceding fiscal
year .
e. The total number of participating families.
f. The total number of participating children.
House File 2514, p. 3
g. The average gross household income for participating
families .
h. The number of participating families for each of the
following levels of gross household income:
(1) Above one hundred sixty percent but below one hundred
eighty percent of the federal poverty level.
(2) At or above one hundred eighty percent but below two
hundred percent of the federal poverty level.
(3) At or above two hundred percent but below two hundred
twenty percent of the federal poverty level.
(4) At or above two hundred twenty percent but below two
hundred fifty percent of the federal poverty level.
(5) At or above two hundred fifty percent of the federal
poverty level.
5. The department shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A
to administer this section.
77—
PAT GRAS SEE Y AMY SINCLAIR
Speaker of the House President of the Senate
I hereby certify that this bill originated in the House and
is known as House File 2514, Ninety-first General Assembly.
MEGHAN NELSON
Chief. Clerk of the House
KIM REYNOLDS
Governor