Rep. Elizabeth Wilson

Maddy summaryHF 411 exempts families determined by Iowa's Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to be "unhoused" from making copayments for the state child care assistance program (CCA). The bill defines "unhoused" as lacking a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, including living in motels, shelters, cars, or temporary settings. Unhoused families are not required to pay copayments as a condition of CCA program participation, and this exemption lasts for six months after HHS determines the family is no longer unhoused. This change directly affects low-income families experiencing housing instability who rely on state child care assistance.

Maddy summaryHF 410 would require Iowa's Department of Health and Human Services to set reimbursement rates for child care providers caring for unhoused children equal to the rate for children needing special-needs care. The bill defines "unhoused" as lacking a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, including living in motels, shelters, cars, or transitional housing. This change directly affects child care providers serving unhoused children and the state's child care assistance program budget. The bill was introduced on February 13, 2025, and remains in committee.

Maddy summaryHF 344 changes Iowa's child care assistance program to require the state to reimburse child care providers at the rate they typically charge private-pay families, rather than the current system that capped reimbursement at the lower of the provider's rate or a state-set rate. This directly affects child care providers serving families enrolled in the state child care assistance program. The bill eliminates the practice where providers could not collect the full difference between their private rate and the state reimbursement. Providers will now receive full payment based on their standard private rates for eligible children.

Maddy summaryHF 345 would raise Iowa's income eligibility limits for state child care assistance. It increases the monthly income cap for families needing basic care from 145% to 185% of the federal poverty level (FPL), and for special-needs care from 200% to 240% of the FPL. This change directly affects low-income families with children who require child care, allowing more households to qualify for assistance. The bill directs the Department of Health and Human Services to update its administrative rules to implement these new thresholds. The change would expand access to child care support for families currently earning above the current income limits.

Maddy summaryHF 342 expands Iowa's state child care assistance program to include children of child care workers. It creates new eligibility for children whose parent, guardian, or custodian works at least 32 hours weekly in direct child care at a registered or HHS-agreed unregistered facility, meets staffing ratios, and does not provide care for their own child at home. The bill requires eligible families to make income-based copayments and prohibits HHS from applying waiting lists to these new applicants. It also specifies that directors or administrative staff qualify if regularly counted in staffing ratios. The Department of Health and Human Services must adopt rules to implement these changes.

Maddy summaryHF 341 changes how Iowa's child care assistance program pays providers. It allows providers to choose biweekly or monthly billing and shifts payment from "child care provided" to "hours scheduled" for enrolled children. The bill requires the Department of Human Services to pay providers within 10 business days of receiving a bill, and to notify providers of errors within 5 days if corrections are needed. This directly affects child care providers enrolled in the state program and the Department of Human Services. The change aims to streamline payments and reduce administrative delays.

Maddy summaryHF 343 changes how Iowa's child care assistance program reimburses providers. It requires the state human services department to pay providers full-day rates for every day a child is enrolled, regardless of whether the child stays for the full day (current law allows partial payments for shorter stays). The bill also mandates payments within 10 business days of receiving a valid bill, and requires the department to notify providers of billing errors within 5 days and pay within 10 days of receiving corrections. This directly affects licensed child care providers serving families in the state's child care assistance program.

Maddy summaryHF 283 raises Iowa's minimum hourly wage to $10.00 starting July 1, 2025, then to $12.50 on July 1, 2026, and $15.00 on July 1, 2027. It establishes a lower starting wage of $9.10 for new employees during their first 90 days of employment, increasing to $11.60 and $14.10 in 2026 and 2027 respectively. After 2027, the minimum wage will automatically increase annually on July 1 by the same percentage as the federal Social Security cost-of-living adjustment. The bill ensures the wage never decreases and affects all hourly workers in Iowa, including new hires during their initial 90-day period.

Maddy summaryHF 275 modifies Iowa's statewide preschool program enrollment rules to prioritize homeless children. The bill requires local preschool programs (operated by school districts) to give priority on waiting lists to children meeting the federal definition of "homeless individual" under 42 U.S.C. §11302(a) and (c). This change applies to all local programs approved under Iowa Code chapter 256C, ensuring homeless children are prioritized when spaces are limited. The bill does not alter other program requirements like teacher ratios or learning standards. It directly affects preschool programs and homeless children seeking enrollment in Iowa's statewide preschool system.

Maddy summaryHF 216 requires Iowa child care centers that employ workers under 18 years old to provide unsupervised care for school-age children to maintain professional liability insurance coverage for those employees. The bill directs the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services to create rules mandating centers provide proof of this insurance coverage. It specifically applies to centers using teen employees (under 18) for direct child care without additional adult supervision. The law aims to protect children by ensuring insurance coverage for incidents involving minor caregivers, using existing definitions of "child care" from Iowa Code section 237A.1.