Making the Most of the Army Reserve Childcare Pilot in Iowa

As an Army Reservist, chances are you’ve probably seen a soldier in your unit miss their battle assembly due to lack of childcare or maybe you’ve experienced this yourself. Parents across the country have struggled to find affordable and accessible childcare for years. In recent years, the childcare industry has taken a hit, with many providers exiting the industry, leaving families across the country scrambling to figure out childcare while they are at work or fulfilling their military duties.

Army Reserve families in Iowa have a unique set of challenges when it comes to finding childcare. With most battle assemblies falling on the weekends, this leaves little to no options for those who are single parents, dual military or have a spouse that works weekends. I had the opportunity to meet with several Army Reservists to hear more about the struggles they faced when finding drill childcare. Here are the top three issues I heard from folks:

 

1. CHILDCARE AVAILABILITY ACROSS IOWA

Most daycares in the United States operate to accommodate a traditional 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. workday. This leaves those who work weekends scrambling to find childcare that covers non-traditional work hours, is reputable and doesn’t break the bank. Those who live in more rural counties like Adams, Cedar and Iowa have an even harder time finding options that fit drill childcare needs. For many, this means missing drill because there simply aren’t any affordable options nearby. For others, this means leaving the military because it is nearly impossible to juggle their career and childcare.

 

2. THE STRUGGLE OF FINDING REPUTABLE CARE OPTIONS

While some families have the benefit of having family or friends nearby, many families don’t have this luxury. Many of the parents I spoke with live states away from their families and had to ask friends of friends, neighbors or babysitters to watch their children. Because they had little to no options for affordable licensed childcare, they often felt stressed and worried about their children while they were away.

 

3. THE DRILL CHILDCARE COST BREAKDOWN

We all know childcare is expensive. Let’s take a closer look into what costs Iowa Army Reservists incur. The average cost of a babysitter in the state of Iowa is $15.25 per hour. The average battle assembly is 12 hours per day over the course of two days. This equals $366 for a babysitter and does not include any additional personal expenses like transportation and food. For many Army Reserve Soldiers, especially those with multiple children, these costs can easily exceed their drill compensation.


UPWARDS ENTERS THE CHAT

There have been several childcare pilot programs for military families over the years to try and alleviate the stress of figuring out what to do with your children while drilling. This changed in August of 2023 when the city of West Liberty, U.S. Army Reserves and Upwards came together to support Iowans and their neighbors.

Enter the Upwards childcare pilot program for Army Reservists.

 

BREAKING BARRIERS IN IOWA

Through the Intergovernmental Support Agreement (IGSA), Upwards offers covered childcare for Army Reservists in the Quad Cities and surrounding areas in Iowa.

The Upwards Childcare Pilot Program launched to support Army Reservists with their childcare needs during battle assemblies, annual training and emergency deployments for those who either live or drill in Iowa, Illinois, Kansas and Missouri.


THE UPWARDS SAFETY PROMISE

We know how important safety is to families. All Upwards childcare providers are state-licensed and vetted and will even send you photo and text updates via the app to give you complete peace of mind during drill. Our team is constantly checking on licensing and monitoring the quality of care, communicating with current program providers and working to continue to add safe and reliable childcare providers to the program.

 

HOW TO SIGN UP

Forget the hours-long application process, it takes less than two minutes to sign up for the program. Head to the sign up page to fill out basic information and see your eligibility. After signing up, an Upwards Dedicated Care Manager will contact you to find care that fits your needs. They will match you with state-licensed, vetted and insured childcare options in your area, schedule tours and get your kids enrolled.

Want to make a difference? Highlight the benefits of signing up for this incredible program and let your Iowa Army Reserve friends, family, and unit know about it! Remember, to make the most of this opportunity. Spread the word, share this blog, and help us support even more military families.




Lauren DeBauch

Lauren DeBauch is the Communications Specialist for Military Programs at Upwards. She focuses on community outreach to military branches across the country - highlighting the importance of covered childcare for service members. She also meets with military families to understand their childcare struggles and hear the impact the Upwards covered childcare program has on their lives.