Hancock County gets state grant to add more child care slots

GARNER — Hancock County has been awarded over $1.8 million in state funds to construct a new child care facility in Garner.

Hancock County Economic Development will be the lead sponsor for the construction of a new child care facility that will add 71 additional slots to the current center. The funds come from $14 million in new grants announced today by Governor Reynolds as part of the Child Care Business Incentive Grant Program. It was first established in 2022 and is targeted at helping employers offer or expand child care options as a benefit to their employees.

This past November, Reynolds announced a re-opening of the grant to help Iowa businesses further expand child care options for their employees.

Located in a county with some of the highest child care demands in the state, the new facility in Garner will be able to serve families with children as young as six weeks through kindergarten. The current child care center has a Level 1 rating in Iowa’s Quality for Kids Program, a ranking only achieved by 25% of centers statewide.