House File 346 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 346 BY BAGNIEWSKI A BILL FOR An Act relating to state child care assistance for children of 1 certain child care personnel. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 1822YH (1) 91 dg/ko
H.F. 346 Section 1. Section 237A.13, subsection 8, Code 2025, is 1 amended by adding the following new paragraph: 2 NEW PARAGRAPH . e. Persons deemed to be eligible for 3 benefits under the state child care assistance program in 4 accordance with section 237A.13A. 5 Sec. 2. NEW SECTION . 237A.13A State child care assistance 6 child care personnel. 7 1. Notwithstanding section 237A.13, subsections 1 and 2, 8 a child shall be eligible for the state child care assistance 9 program under section 237A.13 if a parent, guardian, or 10 custodian meets the following requirements: 11 a. The parent, guardian, or custodian is employed at 12 a child care facility, a child care home registered with 13 the department, or an unregistered child care home with an 14 agreement with the department to accept reimbursements from the 15 state child care assistance program. 16 b. The parent, guardian, or custodian works an average 17 minimum of thirty-two hours per week during the month in 18 a position with a primary duty of providing child care 19 directly to children, and is regularly counted in the minimum 20 child-to-staff ratio established by the department by rule. 21 c. If the parent, guardian, or custodian is employed at 22 a child care home or a child development home, the parent, 23 guardian, or custodian does not provide child care to the 24 parent, guardian, or custodians own child. A co-provider 25 at a child development home may qualify for state child care 26 assistance if such person meets all requirements set by this 27 section and by the department by rule. 28 d. The parent, guardian, or custodian is not a substitute or 29 an assistant at a child development home. 30 e. Based on the departments evaluation of the parent, 31 guardian, or custodians application for state child care 32 assistance, the department has determined the parent, guardian, 33 or custodian has a need for child care. 34 2. A director, co-director, or other administrative 35 -1- LSB 1822YH (1) 91 dg/ko 1/ 3
H.F. 346 staff member of a child care facility may qualify for state 1 child care assistance pursuant to subsection 1 if such person 2 is regularly counted in the minimum child-to-staff ratio 3 established by the department by rule. 4 3. A person participating in the state child care assistance 5 program pursuant to eligibility established under this section 6 shall make copayments based on the persons household income 7 for services received from the program. 8 4. The department shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A 9 to implement and administer this section. 10 EXPLANATION 11 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 12 the explanations substance by the members of the general assembly. 13 This bill relates to state child care assistance (CCA) for 14 children of child care employees. 15 The bill makes a child eligible for CCA if the child is in a 16 family with a parent, guardian, or custodian who is employed 17 at a child care facility, a child care home registered with 18 the department of health and human services (HHS), or an 19 unregistered child care home with an agreement with HHS to 20 accept CCA reimbursements; works an average minimum of 32 hours 21 per week during the month in a position with a primary duty of 22 providing child care directly to children, and is regularly 23 counted in the minimum child-to-staff ratio established by HHS 24 by rule; does not provide child care to the parent, guardian, 25 or custodians own child if the parent, guardian, or custodian 26 is employed at a child care home or a child development home, 27 though a co-provider at a child development home may qualify 28 for CCA if the co-provider meets all requirements set in Code 29 and by rule; is not a substitute or an assistant at a child 30 development home; and has a need for child care based on HHSs 31 assessment. 32 The bill provides that a director, co-director, or other 33 administrative staff of a child care facility may qualify 34 for CCA as a child care employee if such person is regularly 35 -2- LSB 1822YH (1) 91 dg/ko 2/ 3
H.F. 346 counted in the minimum child-to-staff ratio established by HHS 1 by rule. 2 The bill requires a person who participates in CCA under the 3 bill to make copayments for services received from the program. 4 The bill directs HHS to adopt rules to implement and 5 administer the bill. 6 The bill prohibits HHS from applying waiting list 7 requirements for CCA on persons deemed eligible for CCA under 8 the bill. 9 -3- LSB 1822YH (1) 91 dg/ko 3/ 3