Where partnership meets purpose and local children get the start they deserve

Across the Cedar Valley, access to child care has long shaped more than daily routines. It influences whether parents can work, whether employers can hire, and whether children have a steady place to begin learning and growing.

For years, community leaders and early childhood partners worked to understand the gap and what it would take to address it.

“The key was the people involved,” said Mary Janssen, Child Care Resource and Referral of Northeast Iowa Regional Director. “There were times when it felt uncertain, but people kept showing up. We believed in it, and we kept going.”

Through those efforts, one thing became clear. A traditional model would not be enough to sustain child care at the scale the community needed.

“We knew this couldn’t operate on its own,” Mary said. “We had to build a model that brought partners into the work.”

That foundation made way for a partnership with UnityPoint Health – Allen Hospital, designed to meet the needs of both working families and the regional workforce. Through the partnership, UnityPoint employees have priority access to child care, helping ensure their children are in a safe, stable environment while they are at work. 

“When you don’t have reliable child care, it affects everything, from recruiting to retaining nurses and staff,” said Zach French, Vice President of Finance at UnityPoint Health – Allen Hospital.

Cedar Valley Kids Child Care Center was the solution, and the new center in Waterloo now provides licensed, high-quality care for children from infancy through early childhood, offering families consistency during the years that matter most.

From the earliest stages, the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa helped move the work forward by convening partners, supporting planning, and investing at key moments.

“The first major grant was from the Community Foundation and was a turning point,” Mary said. “It told us this was real, that we were moving forward.”

Today, children are learning in a stable, supportive environment, and families have the reliability they need to work and plan ahead.

“This is where it begins,” Mary said. “Quality early care gives children the foundation they need to grow, learn, and succeed.”

For Zach, seeing the center open brings that effort into focus.

“To see it open and serving families, it shows what’s possible when organizations commit to a shared solution,” he said.

What took years of partnership and persistence is now a place families can rely on. It is also a reminder of the good that happens when people come together to fulfill a shared vision for their community.