Gov. Kim Reynolds announced $5.2 million in Continuum of Care grant awards to expand 19 child care and preschool program partnerships across the state. The funding marks the second round of awards under the initiative, which aims to improve access to full-day child care and early learning opportunities for 4-year-olds by supporting collaboration between licensed child care centers and Statewide Voluntary Preschool Program sites. The grants, offering up to $300,000 over three years, are designed to help strengthen Iowa’s child care system through expanded hours, staffing, and transportation options. Recipients were chosen from 39 applicants in this round, following more than 120 applications received in the program’s first cycle. A third round of awards for the 2026–2027 school year is scheduled to open for applications this fall.