Charles City among school districts receiving state career credentials grants

By Travis Fischer, tkfischer@charlescitypress.com

Charles City Community School was one of nine school districts awarded a grant from the Iowa Department of Education to align family and consumer science programs with student attainment of a national child development credential.

Following a successful pilot program last summer, the state awarded nearly $600,000 in competitive grants for the new program.

“We’re one of the first in the state to get approved, so that’s nice,” said Charles City Superintendent Brian Burnight. “Dr. [Jennifer] Schilling and the team really did a great job on this.”

The Credentials to Child Care Careers grant leverages school-community partnerships to expand access to child care, while supporting high school students earning a Child Development Associate credential, according to information from the Iowa department.

Burnight said he hopes to see the program establish a pipeline for Charles City students to enter the child care profession, particularly for the benefit of local child care providers like TLC: The Learning Center.

Gov. Kim Reynolds said in a news release, “It’s important to recognize the connection between child care and a successful workforce. Parents need a child care solution that meets the demands of their busy lives and we need to grow and support strong local solutions.

“I commend each of these nine district awardees for their forward-looking approach to prepare young Iowans to be career ready upon graduation, while also supporting local businesses in building their workforce pipeline,” Reynolds said.

Other school districts in addition to Charles City to receive grants were Central Lyon, Clear Creek Amana, Des Moines, Harlan, Iowa City, LeMars, Marshalltown and Woodbine.

“We were proud to partner with five school districts last summer to create and grow programs that empower students to earn an in-demand child care credential while building a child care workforce pipeline that is of and for local communities,” said Iowa Department of Education Director McKenzie Snow.

Because of the success of these programs last fall, the department opened the opportunity statewide to support more school districts in strengthening pathways to child development careers for students while supporting working families, Snow said.

The Child Development Associate (CDA) credential is a nationally recognized credential in early childhood education awarded by the Council for Professional Recognition, a leader in the credentialing of early childhood educators worldwide.

Obtaining the CDA credential requires coursework, experience in the field and a demonstration assessment during which the student is observed while working with children.

“We are excited to see the interest from districts in strengthening their child care workforce, both from a career and technical education perspective that prepares students for careers in early childhood education, and from a community development lens to address a priority topic in many Iowa communities,” said Kimberly Villotti, Early childhood bureau chief at the Iowa Department of Education.

District awardees will receive course curriculum that meets both the professional development requirements outlined by Iowa Health and Human Services for employees of Iowa licensed child care centers and the classroom requirements for a CDA credential.

Districts can use their grant awards to cover allowable costs, such as student exam fees, textbooks, CDA course materials, student stipends, licensed child care partner stipends, and other approved expenses that help remove barriers to participation.

Five school districts were previously awarded grants to implement programs during the 2024-25 and 2025-26 school years. In total, more than $730,000 in Credentials to Child Care Careers grants have been awarded to school districts across the state.

More information about the Credentials to Child Care Careers Grant is available on the Iowa Department of Education’s website on the Industry-Recognized Credentials page.