The Iowa Department of Human Services has announced the availability of the Investing in Iowa’s Child Care funding program. The IICC is a funding program intended to increase availability of child care throughout the state. It will be administered by Child Care Resource and Referral, with funding from the federal Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021. Funding of up to $750,000 per provider is available for programs that are licensed or registered by DHS or are seeking to be licensed or registered. Three types of funding are available: Startup funding for applicants that are in the process of becoming licensed or registered by DHS; expansion funding for child care facilities that are already licensed or registered but want to expand the number of children they are able to care for; and urgent regulatory funding for child care facilities that are already licensed or registered and have an urgent need related to regulations. The program will begin taking applications on May 3; funding is on a first-come, first-served basis.