Storm Lake, IA, Works with FCF Staff to Create a Vision for the City’s Child Care Future

Storm Lake, Iowa, leaders knew the growing city lacked enough child care. The city had been identified as being in a “child care desert,” meaning there were more than three children under the age of five in the community for every available child care slot.

“We’re a growing, diverse community with great things going on,” said Lee Dutfield, Development Services Specialist for the City of Storm Lake. “We have large employers, multiple higher education institutions, and a regional medical center. But we knew we had a shortage of child care providers.” 

The city started to study its child care needs before the COVID pandemic hit in 2020, but that work wasn’t completed as more pressing needs arose. Then, Dutfield met First Children’s Finance Iowa Business Development Manager Angie Rae Duncan at a conference. 

Duncan and Dutfield discussed services that FCF offered and how a Child Care Market Analysis combined with community feedback/input sessions might help the community. In 2023 the city received a Rural Child Care Market Study grant through the State of Iowa’s Economic Development Authority. 

The market analysis done in 2023-2024 confirmed what the city had thought: 1,251 children aged 0-11 in the community were from families likely to use an HHS-regulated child care space. But the study showed only 304 regulated child care spaces were available, and only 32 were available year-round. 

“We knew we had a problem, but the market analysis gave us the hard data we needed to take the issue forward,” Dutfield said. “The analysis wasn’t just ‘You need more child care.’ It was specific to our community and put us on the path to creating a strategic plan and a steering committee to address the issue.” 

Dutfield said the study highlighted two main points: 

• Employees were missing work because the city lacked child care, which hurt employers 
• Parents wanted quality child care, not just any child care 

“Our goal was to increase the number of quality child care spaces. We completed the strategic plan through the city and the child care steering committee. Our next steps were to form an independent committee not overseen by the city. We created that in 2024; it currently has five community members and one council member.” 

Dutfield said the city’s next step was to find a prime location for a new child care center. The city bought a 2.8-acre lot near several schools to incent a developer to start a child care center. 

“Essentially the land is the City’s investment. The committee has been meeting with large employers, the school district, higher education institutions, and financial entities. Discussions are ongoing about how we can take the next step and get a center built.” 

Dutfield quickly mentions FCF’s role was essential in getting Storm Lake where it is now. “Angie was amazing. She got everyone on our steering committee to bring something to the table; it was a group effort. We’re proud of where we are now, and it wouldn’t have been possible without FCF’s help and guidance.” 

For more information about Storm Lake’s efforts, visit https://www.stormlake.org/779/Child-Care    

For more information about the services offered by First Children’s Finance Iowa, email infoIowa@firstchildrensfinance.org.