Community Child Care Solutions Collaborative

CORALVILLE, IA, July 27, 2022 – The Iowa Women’s Foundation (IWF), a nonprofit organization focused on improving the lives of Iowa’s women and girls, announced a $25,000 donation from Aetna Health of Iowa Inc., dba Aetna Better Health of Iowa, a CVS Health^® company (NYSE: CVS). The donation will help fund the IWF Building Community Child Care Solutions (BCCCS) collaborative to increase awareness and investments in community-led solutions that address child-care and workforce shortages in the state of Iowa.

For working parents and businesses, child care is essential to ensuring employees are able to meet the requirements for employment. According to Iowa Child Care Resource & Referral, 75% of Iowa families with children under the age of six have all parents working. Additionally, on any given day, there are approximately 520,000 children ages 0-12 in the state of Iowa, but just over 170,000 child-care spaces available. That’s an average of three children needing care for every slot of child care available. Furthermore, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation claims the state of Iowa loses an estimated $935 million annually in tax revenue as a result of employee absences and turnover related to child care issues.

The Iowa Women’s Foundation’s BCCCS collaborative is the only program of its kind in Iowa that engages in solution-driven efforts that are research-based and led by a network of 45 communities—a number that continues to grow. Acting as the convener, strategist and voice for the collaborative, IWF explores tactics and strategies that can help communities implement a range of child-care related solutions, including:

• Building new and expanding existing child-care centers
• Supporting child-care entrepreneurs
• Encouraging local businesses to expand and/or add child-care benefits, including offering in-house care to workers
• Working with community colleges to inform and educate the next generation of child-care providers
• Supporting before- and after-school programing
• Creating viable childcare options for second- and third-shift workers

“The Iowa Women’s Foundation is grateful to receive this generous donation from Aetna Better Health of Iowa for our Building Community Child Care Solutions collaborative,” said Dawn Oliver Wiand, President and CEO of Iowa Women’s Foundation. “These funds will help the Iowa Women’s Foundation focus its energy and resources on bringing communities together to eliminate Iowa’s child-care shortage, which is something Governor Reynolds supports with her recent announcement of a new $25 million Child Care Business Incentive Grant Program.”

Working together with over 750 volunteer parents, business leaders, educators, political representatives and child-care providers, IWF will use Aetna Better Health of Iowa’s donation to expand the BCCCS network of informed and aligned communities and develop strategies to address Iowa’s child care crisis. IWF will support the proposed strategies through tools, training, marketing/public relations materials and local events.

Ted Koutsoubas, Chief Strategy Officer for Aetna Medicaid, added, “We’re committed to improving the wellbeing of the communities we serve and believe that community building is the first step to empowering change. The Iowa Women’s Foundation’s passion to engage the public around the state’s child-care shortage and its related economic impact is more than a first step—it’s a path to a new model of success.”

About the Iowa Women’s Foundation

The Iowa Women’s Foundation is a 501(C)3 nonprofit organization committed to improving the lives of Iowa’s women and girls through a diversified mix of funding and action: research, grant-making, advocacy, education and collaboration. To achieve its goals and make the most significant impact, IWF brings together and invests in organizations across Iowa that make women and girls more successful. IWF is the only statewide organization working to enhance and improve women’s economic self-sufficiency.

About Aetna Medicaid

Aetna Medicaid Administrators LLC (Aetna Medicaid), a CVS Health company, has over 30 years of experience managing the care of the most medically vulnerable, using innovative approaches and a local presence in each market to achieve both successful health care results and effective cost outcomes. Aetna Medicaid has particular expertise serving high-need Medicaid members, including those who are dually eligible for Medicaid and Medicare. Currently, Aetna Medicaid owns and/or administers Medicaid managed health care plans under the names of Aetna Better Health and other affiliate names. Together, these plans serve approximately 2.8 million people in 16 states, including Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia. For more information, see www.aetnabetterhealth.com.

About CVS Health

CVS Health® is the leading health solutions company, delivering care like no one else can. We reach more people and improve the health of communities across America through our local presence, digital channels and over 300,000 dedicated colleagues – including more than 40,000 physicians, pharmacists, nurses and nurse practitioners. Wherever and whenever people need us, we help them with their health – whether that’s managing chronic diseases, staying compliant with their medications or accessing affordable health and wellness services in the most convenient ways. We help people navigate the health care system – and their personal health care – by improving access, lowering costs and being a trusted partner for every meaningful moment of health. And we do it all with heart, each and every day. Follow @CVSHealth on social media.