With a keen focus on improving the lives of children aged prenatal through five, the Iowa River Valley Early Childhood Area Board has awarded funds for the upcoming fiscal year.  Utilizing funds from Iowa’s Department of Education and Health and Human Services, early childhood programs in Hardin and Marshall County will strengthen, empower and support families and their children. The Board has focused its priorities on the following services:

Family Support and Home Visitation * These programs include home visits that are designed to strengthen protective factors, including parenting skills, increasing parental knowledge of child development, and increasing family functioning and problem-solving skills. Funded programs follow the Parents As Teachers Curriculum. The contracted programs are:

• Child, Adolescent & Parent Support - Building Healthy Families
  

Childcare Services and Support * These programs are designed to increase the quality and capacity of childcare environments each offering different opportunities. See our work around supporting quality childcare practices.

• Center for Child Care Resource and Referral – Includes funding for a childcare consultant, childcare provider incentives, and training opportunities.
  • ​Finding & Looking For Child Care
    
  • ​Become A Child Care Provider
    
  • Iowa Quality 4 Kids (IQ4K)
• Mid Iowa Community Action, Head Start Wrap Around – Provides funding for wrap around preschool so that parents obtain or retain employment.
  
• Mid Iowa Community Action, Child Care Nurse Consultant – A registered nurse who provides on-site consultation, training, and technical assistance to early childhood care and education providers.  Childcare and early education businesses may call or send questions to a CCNC about health and safety policies, health programs, health of personnel, and specific child health or safety issues. 
  
  

Preschool Transportation * Provides transportation for preschool students to/from childcare development homes.

• East Marshall Community School District
  

Preschool Tuition Scholarships * Qualified children living below 200% poverty are eligible for a preschool tuition scholarship with a sliding fee scale. Some restrictions may apply. Scholarships are available at the following preschools:

• Cougar’s Den Preschool
  
• Good Shepherd Preschool
  
• Sonshine Preschool
  
• West Marshall Trojan Tots Preschool
  
• Hubbard Radcliffe Preschool
  

Early Literacy Services 

• Small Talk, operated through Iowa State University Extension of Marshall County, is a program for parents that uses regular feedback from LENA technology to help increase interactive talk in order to close the early-talk gap, support kindergarten readiness, and build stronger families.
  
• ​MICA Bookworm Project - providing families enrolled in these programs in Hardin and Marshall Counties with increased access to literature to create a family culture around reading.​

Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation

The Strengthening Center will provide Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation services to early learning programs in Hardin and Marshall County.

Car Seat Safety

Child, Adolescent & Parent Support will also provide Car Seat Safety events across Hardin and Marshall County, and have an emergency supply of car seats available.

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Meet Our FY'25 PROGRAM SERVICE PROVIDERS

Iowa River Valley Early Childhood Area
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ensuring success in children age 0-5 in hardin and marshall county, iowa