Report gives ideas for child care

A national report reviewing child care and early education efforts points to avenues Iowa leaders could take to find better ways to coordinate state and local policies to serve children with disabilities. Donna Elbrecht is president of Easter Seals Iowa.Elbrecht says when money gets tight and many programs are in danger of losing funding that serve various populations, better coordination will help everyone involved. She offers praise and suggestions to two state agencies in particular. Both the Department of Human Services and Education Department have done a “great job” dealing with their budget stresses but Elbrecht says “We would like to see legislators both here in Iowa as well as in Washington D-C keep in mind the children with disabilities as well as just child care quality overall make sense for economic development overall.”Elbrecht points to two programs in particular — the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) block grant. She says “Federal funding for IDEA and the CCDF don’t meet the needs of kids in Iowa and other states. We’re encouraging state officials, even in this difficult budget year, to increase funding in order to make sure children with disabilities are not left behind.”