Eastern Iowa Community Colleges (EICC) is excited to announce the Stanley Consultants Charitable Foundation (SCCF) has donated $6,250 to support students pursuing the Child Development Associate (CDA) certification through Muscatine Community College (MCC). The college’s CDA program is for experienced child caregivers or those who want to enter the field, and includes a series of eight courses in the areas of early childhood education, social and emotional development, health and safety, and more. When students complete the program, they are eligible to take the CDA national credentialing assessment.
A total of 16 staff from local daycares including Stepping Stones, Live Laugh Love, and Bridge to Beginnings, have already begun the series and will now be able to continue their classes thanks to this generous gift. The MCC Foundation will match the gift from the Stanley Consultants Charitable Foundation, increasing the amount of funding available to $12,500.
According to a 2022 report from Iowa Childcare Resource and Referral, there are an estimated 2,663 children ages five and under in Muscatine County with all parents in the workforce, with spaces for 1,704 children. Increasing the number of trained childcare workers in our community will help our existing centers to operate at full capacity and allow centers to open additional childcare slots.
“When I speak with directors of childcare centers in Muscatine County, their top concern is hiring and retaining qualified staff. Whether a graduate of this program is currently employed in the field, or whether they’ll be joining the childcare workforce after completion, their impact on the quality and availability of care will be felt by Muscatine County childcare centers and the families and employers that rely on them,” said Kaitlyn Wintermeyer, Director of Early Childhood Iowa Muscatine County.
“This gift from the SCCF provides access to education for our childcare workers,” said Naomi DeWinter, President of Muscatine Community College. “Having it doubled by the MCC Foundation means that even more students will be able to complete the CDA credential and learn new skills to serve our youngest in Muscatine. The community college mission is about access and this donation serves that mission so well.”
Students who have successfully completed the CDA credential through EICC may be eligible to receive up to 17 hours of college credit towards the college’s Early Childhood Education AAS program.
Other businesses who want to play a part in solving the lack of quality childcare in Muscatine can contact Kim Warren at Aligned Impact Muscatine at 563-263-5963 or kim@unitedwaymuscatine.org.