earmarks: 55
This data as json
| id | fiscal_year | chamber | member_name | member_last | member_first | bioguide_id | party | state | district | subcommittee | recipient | recipient_normalized | project_description | recipient_address | amount_requested |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 55 | 2022 | House | Cynthia Axne | Axne | Cynthia | A000378 | Democrat | IA | Agriculture | Ringgold County Child Care Center Re-Design: Programming, Building, and Outdoor Play Project | RINGGOLD COUNTY CHILD CARE CENTER RE-DESIGN: PROGRAMMING, BUILDING, AND OUTDOOR PLAY PROJECT | The purpose of this funding request is to expand affordable childcare in rural Iowa. The Mount Ayr Elementary School offers a before/after/summer program for school-aged children. The Ringgold County Child Care Center will provide daycare services for children ages 0-3, and some younger 4-year olds not ready for the school’s preschool program, opening 30 additional slots for this age group. The decision to serve this age group was driven by the fact that this age group is seen as the highest need age group for daycare services for area families. The Center’s emphasis on 3-4-year-old children who are not yet ready for pre-K or Kindergarten classroom settings will greatly assist in their educational development. Ideally, this programming can help young children prepare for education, resulting in less special assistance or learning assistance, which will save taxpayer dollars throughout their K-12 education. The Center will add 30 needed childcare slots in one of Iowa’s smallest and most rural counties, addressing the severe shortage of childcare facilities in southwest Iowa. This will not only ensure parents have more access to childcare in order to return to work post-pandemic, but create jobs within the community which will reduce unemployment assistance. According to a report by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation that was released in early 2020, the Iowa economy loses nearly $1 billion every year due to childcare issues. Iowa has one of the largest labor force participation rates in the nation, but the lack of access to affordable childcare costs the economy $935 million annually from lost tax revenue and employee absences. Increasing investments into childcare will have an immediate impact on increasing tax revenue, lowering unemployment, and boosting Iowa’s economy. | Ringgold County Child Care Center, 302 N. Lincoln Street, Mount Ayr, IA 50854 | 725366 |