Early Childhood Programs
The Iowa Early Childhood Initiative was established by legislation during the 1998 Iowa legislative session in an effort to create a partnership between communities and state government with an initial emphasis to improve the well-being of families with young children.
The purpose of creating Early Childhood Iowa is to empower individuals and their communities to achieve desired results for improving the quality of life for children through the age of five and their families.
It is believed that the desired results identified by communities, with the support of the state, will be achieved as individuals, governments, and agencies work collaboratively within communities, and that local individuals in local communities working together will identify and implement the best means for attaining the desired results. The role of the Early Childhood Iowa Board and the State is to support and facilitate growth of community responsibility.
SHIP became the designated Early Childhood Iowa Board for Woodbury County in 1999. In 2011, Ida County’s Early Childhood Board merged with the SHIP Board. SHIP now oversees one Early Childhood system that covers Ida County and Woodbury County.
SHIP Early Childhood Iowa Grant Awards 2018
On May 19, 2017 the SHIP Board awarded the following grants to the agencies and programs listed below. Each Early Childhood Iowa grant starts July 1, 2017 and ends June 30, 2018. This is Year 2 in a 2-year grant cycle. The grant cycle for Fiscal Year 2019 will begin a new cycle in which the application process will be open to all programs – existing and new programs or projects.
Comunity Action Agency of Siouxland: Child Care Nurse Consultant $81,800
Community Action Agency of Siouxland: Early Head Start $43,272
Crittenton Center: HOPES Program $156,849
Crittenton Center: Resource Center $162,021
Crittenton Center: West High Infant Care Center $69,300
Ida County Kids Fest Child Health Fair $2,000
Iowa Association for the Education of Young Children: WAGE$ Program $18,000
Jackson Recovery Center: Sanctuary Child Care $30,000
Mary Treglia Community House: Parent Child Program $17,581
Mid-Sioux Opportunity: Early Childhood Professional Development $10,489
Siouxland District Health Department: HOPES Program $210,144
Siouxland District Health Department: iSmile Oral Health Program $63,782
Western Iowa Tech Community College: Early Childhood Continuing Education $14,400
SHIP also awards preschool and child care scholarships for tuition assistance to low income families for the 2017-18 year. To see the list of quality providers and to download the application to apply for assistance, please visit these pages:
http://siouxlandship.org/early-childhood/preschool-programs/
http://siouxlandship.org/early-childhood/childcare-programs/
Early Childhood Professional – Continuing Education
Are you an Early Childhood professional working in Ida or Woodbury counties that would like to further your education? SHIP’s Early Childhood Iowa program proudly funds scholarships for ECI professionals to continue their early childhood education at Western Iowa Tech Community College.
WITCC Early Childhood Scholarship Application Summer 2017
WITCC Early Childhood Scholarship Application Fall 2017
Early Childhood Iowa Annual Reports
SHIP Early Childhood Iowa FY2016 Annual Report
SHIP Early Childhood Iowa FY2015 Annual Report
Ida County ECI Committee
Mikka Belson, Citizen
*Brenna Franken, Northwest AEA
Lindsey Gilbert, Community Action Agency of Siouxland
Megan Miller, Siouxland District Health Department
Cindi Prather, Plains Area Mental Health
Kim Schroeder, Mid-Sioux Opportunity
Dick Sievers, Mid-Sioux Opportunity
Melony Storm, Parent Partner
Woodbury County ECI Committee
Terrie Binneboese, United Way of Siouxland
Kim Burrack, Sioux City Community School District
Cindy Chettinger, Northwest Area Education Agency
Erica DeLeon, Siouxland YMCA
Lindsey Gilbert, Community Action Agency of Siouxland
Mary Groen, Northwest Area Education Agency
Erica McWell, Stella Sanford Child Development Center
Jackie Navrkal, Mid-Sioux Opportunity Child Care Resource & Referral
Rachael Ostermyer, Head Start
Mona Scaletta, Siouxland District Health Department
*Kim Schroeder, Mid-Sioux Opportunity, Child Care Resource & Referral
*denotes Committee Chair
Ida & Woodbury County Community Plan
For more information on the Ida or Woodbury County Early Childhood Iowa (ECI) Committee, please contact Kerri Hall at: (712) 222-6394, or email: khall@siouxlandship.org.