Better Tomorrows Early Childhood Iowa

10/23/2026

This looks like a great opportunity!

Registration is now open for the 2026 IAIECMH Virtual Conference: Thinking Big for Iowa’s Littles!

Join us on Tuesday, November 10, for a full day of learning, reflection, and connection focused on strengthening Iowa’s infant and early childhood mental health workforce.

Your conference registration includes:

• A full day of virtual professional development
• The IAIECMH Annual Business Meeting
• Opportunities for reflection and connection
• Your 2027 IAIECMH membership

Check out the agenda below, and register today!

🔗 https://www.ia-iecmh.org/event/2026-iaiecmh-conference/

10/02/2026

Come join us on October 14th for the Thrive Iowa Collective Impact Meeting!
Tama County meeting will be held at the Tama Civic Center at 2 pm.
An initiative for the community, by the community

10/02/2026

09/29/2026

Rethink your back to school snacks with the September 5-2-1-0 Feature! Make healthier food swaps in your kids lunchbox and bring new treats to classroom celebrations to help healthy habits easier as a new school year kicks off! 🍎🥕

Rethink your back to school snacks with the September 5-2-1-0 Feature! Make healthier food swaps in your kids lunchbox and bring new treats to classroom celebrations to help healthy habits easier as a new school year kicks off! 🍎🥕

https://www.iowahealthieststate.com/5210/feature

09/29/2026

It’s Mental Illness Awareness Week, a reminder that mental illness affects people in every community, workplace and family. One of the most important things we can do is create a culture where it’s okay to talk about mental health and seek support when it’s needed.
That’s the mission of Make It OK. 💚🫂
Looking for a way to get involved? Take the Make It OK Pledge, explore our free resources or become an ambassador at makeitokiowa.org!

Make It OK is a community campaign to reduce stigma in Iowa by starting conversations and increasing understanding about mental illness. Join the movement!

09/29/2026

The Iowa Produce Prescription Program (IPPP) helps eligible Iowans ...

09/29/2026

09/18/2026

The lack of licensed child care plagues nearly half of families, costing the economy an estimated $172 billion annually in lost productivity, earnings, and tax revenue.

A recent Center for American Progress report, in collaboration with the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research and Stanford University, highlights the supply of licensed child care—areas where there are more than three local young children under age 6 per local licensed child care slot—across the United States. The report provides new estimates of the percentage of children under age 6 who have inadequate access to a licensed child care slot and offers a suite of recommendations for both state and federal lawmakers to address the widespread supply crisis.

Find new Child Care Desert Maps and read more at

Lawmakers must address the nation’s child care supply crisis; according to CAP’s 2026 analysis, nearly half of young children are in licensed child care deserts, with rural areas facing the worst shortages.

09/18/2026

More Hours, More Work: Head Start Expansions Boost Maternal Employment
Head Start has long been recognized for giving children a strong start, and recent research highlights how expanding access can benefit entire families. The study examined Head Start programs that expanded to full-day enrollment and found that single mothers were more likely to be employed, to work more hours, and to earn more. Presented at the University of California, Davis Alumni Conference, the findings underscore how investments in early childhood programs can strengthen family economic stability while supporting positive outcomes for children. This research demonstrates that expanding access to high-quality early care and education can have lasting benefits for both children and their caregivers.

Better Tomorrows ECI is proud to support expanded Head Start hours in Benton County.

More Hours, More Work: Head Start Expansions Boost Maternal Employment

09/18/2026

Iowa children enrolled in Early Head Start demonstrated stronger language, literacy, math, and social-emotional skills compared to similarly eligible children who did not enroll. Read more about these findings in I2D2's newest brief. https://i2d2.iastate.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Early-Head-Start-Brief-18-I2D2-1.pdf