• Connects families with quality early care and education options and facilitates professional development opportunities for the adults who care for and educate our youngest Iowans. Nurse consultants are available for daycares. 
• Parent Referral Hotline: 855-244-5301
• Community Development Specialist: 515-401-4957
• Provides consultation and training for childcare staff through our Child Care Consultant for that area.                                               
• Childcare consultant: 641-820-1923.

• Childcare Assistance: Helps pay for childcare while parents or caretakers work, attend school, look for employment, or are unable to care for children due to medical reasons.
• Families First: The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) program to help families stay together and prevent the need for foster care.
• Parent Partners: An innovative social work practice. It is unique because it celebrates individuals who have overcome obstacles through change, recovery, and accountability. Parent Partners are advocates for families. They also hold families accountable through their case plan goals.
• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP): An entitlement program that provides monthly benefits to assist low-income households in purchasing the food, they need to maintain adequate nutritional levels.

• In Iowa, you can report suspected child abuse by calling the Child Abuse Hotline at (800) 362-2178. This hotline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can also call 911 if you believe a child is in immediate danger. 

Search: DHS, IHHS, DHHS, Public Aid, child abuse, hotline

Child Care Collaborative of Iowa: Our mission is to guide child care programs to improve financial practices and optimize resources that benefit children, families, and their business.

The Child Care Search Tool displays childcare providers with vacancies by geography or along a designated driving route. With this tool, Iowan’s can conveniently identify childcare providers near them or between their home and office.

This tool also offers essential information including IQ4K ratings, age filters, hours of operation, and subsidy acceptance.

For the best experience, please use a home computer or tablet to view the data within this tool.

Keywords: childcare, child care, daycare, babysitter, childcare, kids, Iowa Child Care Connect

Programs, resources, & educational opportunities: Agriculture & Natural Resources, Business & Industry, Communities, Continuing Education, Families, & 4H & Youth Development. 

Food and family classes and childcare training. Gardening. 4H, 

Iowa’s 1st Five Healthy Mental Development Initiative builds partnerships between physician practices and public service providers to enhance high-quality well-child care. 1st Five promotes the use of standardized developmental screening tools that support healthy mental development for young children.

By using a standardized tool for all children, providers are able to identify children at-risk for developmental concerns, and link those children and their families with community-based resources to improve access to appropriate follow-up care. Primary care providers play a key role in supporting optimal healthy mental development in children. Therefore, primary care providers can play a critical role in providing developmental screenings.

Mid Iowa Community Action (MICA) serves Jasper County. 

MICA Services in Jasper County include: 

• Maternal and Child Health
• I-smile (Dental screenings in schools)
• WIC clinics in Newton & Colfax
• 1st Five (for providers)
• FaDSS/Family Development
• Childcare Consultant- Poweshiek/Jasper 

WIC: Pregnant, postpartum, breastfeeding, infant, children up to age 5. 

WIC Times and locations:

Location: Newton Salvation Army

• 1st Monday of every month
  9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
• 2nd Tuesday of every month
  10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
• 2nd Monday and Wednesday of every month
  8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Howard St. Christian Church in Colfax

• 1st Wednesday of every month
  8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m

Keywords: pregnant, breastfeeding, breastfed, milk, WIC, postpartum, baby, infant

Keyword search: pregnant, infant, breastfeeding, breastmilk, new mom, postpartum, food, WIC, WIC coupons, formula, milk