Nonprofits, businesses and charitable individuals work together to address availability of a crucial community resource.
In the small town of Cascade, Aquin Little Angels Early Childhood Education and Preschool Center is an essential community resource. Many working parents depend on it to provide the care and stability that enables them to hold jobs.
Like child care centers nationwide, Little Angels has faced staffing challenges that limit services for families. Without an adequate number of workers to meet community needs, families end up on a waiting list.
Last year, though, the center received funding that has alleviated some of the challenges. Little Angels was one of 20 child care centers in Dubuque County to receive a grant from the Dubuque County Child Care Solutions Fund to support employee retention and recruitment.
“This grant has been invaluable, allowing us to advertise on Access Dubuque and promote our new-hire incentive program — expenses beyond our regular budget,” says center Director Joann O’Connell. “This support has helped us maintain consistent staffing levels and attract qualified candidates, making a meaningful difference for our program and the families we serve in a field where recruitment and retention remain significant challenges.”
The Child Care Solutions Fund is one of the ways the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque, in partnership with local businesses and organizations, is supporting Dubuque County’s workforce.
Child care providers are essential to the region. They are more than just caregivers — they also serve as teachers, sources of nutritious meals, and nurturing environments for children. They play a critical role in the larger economy through the provision of care options for working families and build a foundation for school readiness and educational success.
At the same time, barriers like high costs, long waiting lists, and lack of infant care mean that many families can’t access this important resource that would enable parents and guardians to enter the workforce.
The Child Care Solutions Fund helps centers retain high quality child care workers and grow their capacity to serve local families. The fund addresses competitive child care wages while keeping tuition affordable for working families. This program is supported by the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, through funds received from private sector employers.
Business Champions
The Child Care Solution’s Fund dates to December 2023. At that time, Dubuque Initiatives, in partnership with Greater Dubuque Development Corp., launched Business Champions for Child Care to strengthen the region’s workforce and economy through strategic investment in child care. The initiative secured $560,000 in state funding through a pilot program in 10 Iowa communities and leveraged $819,000 in local investment.
Fifteen leading employers in the Dubuque region joined together to create this multi-year fund, reinforcing child care as a critical driver of workforce stability and long-term economic growth in Dubuque County.
In 2025, the Dubuque County Child Care Solutions Fund, as it is now known, transitioned to the Community Foundation, which has a long history of building relationships and mobilizing resources to address complex community challenges.
The Foundation’s approach to child care is grounded in its role as a trusted convener, a responsible steward of donor dollars, and a credible partner to policymakers. This unique position allows the Foundation to listen to providers, align philanthropic investments with community need, and engage legislators in informed conversations that strengthen the child care system across Dubuque County.
Measurable Impact
By strengthening and stabilizing the child care workforce, the fund expands access to affordable, high-quality child care, easing a barrier to employment, and supports a stronger, more resilient workforce and economy.
Since launching, the fund has granted $915,000 to local centers, support that has made a meaningful impact on the availability of child care. By the end of 2025, the fund had helped reduce the gap in available child care slots in Dubuque County by 47% since 2022, according to Iowa Child Care Resource & Referral. In the past two years, the fund has helped create 397 new child care slots.
Though challenges remain, Dubuque County is meeting child care demand at a higher rate than other Iowa metro areas. Here, child care centers are meeting 73% of demand, while peer counties Scott, Johnson, Black Hawk, Linn and Polk have rates ranging from 57% to 66%, according to Iowa Child Care Connect.
This increase in slots is, in part, due to an increase in the number of child care professionals. The fund has led to the hiring of 182 professionals countywide since 2024, while child care wages have increased by $2.18 per hour in the past two years, thanks to grant support. Today, the retention rate for child care workers is 71.5%, compared to 66.5% nationally.
“Child Care Solutions grant funding has strengthened our staffing through competitive wages, onboarding programs and professional development,” says Tina Pothoff, director of Our Lady of Guadelupe Early Childhood in Dubuque. “These resources help us attract and retain quality staff, ensuring new team members feel supported and confident in their roles.
Be Part of the Solution
As the fund enters its third year, the Community Foundation is seeking new partners, including individuals and businesses, to contribute to the fund and support the local workforce.
“For every dollar invested in child care, businesses see returns through reduced employee absenteeism, improved recruitment, and workforce stability,” says Mary Jo Jean-Francois, vice president of impact at the Community Foundation. “Investing in the Child Care Solutions Fund directly supports a business’ ability to attract and retain talent.”
This article is made possible by a partnership between Julien’s Journal and the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque.
Comments on this article can be sent to comments@juliensjournal.com.
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