Parent Information

Preschool Scholarships

Through the Dubuque County Empowerment Community Empowerment Area, preschool scholarships are made available to children whose families are above the Head Start and/or Shared Vision income guidelines but below the 185% poverty level. These children may attend any licensed preschool and receive a full scholarship.

For more information on preschool scholarships, please call Tara Roddick, Program Specialist, Child Care Resource & Referral at (563) 557-1628 or toll free 1-866-296-5331.

In Dubuque County, the Preschool Scholarship Program is administered by Dubuque County Empowerment through Child Care Resource & Referral with the Program Specialist being the program facilitator and with St. Columbkille as the fiscal agent in partnership with participating preschools that agree to follow the program guidelines:

1. The program facilitator will use the preschool scholarship application to gather the appropriate information.
2. If the applicant qualifies for the Head Start or the Shared Visions Program, but the programs are full, the applicant will qualify for a full scholarship to a preschool of their choice.
3. The applicant cannot receive preschool scholarship funds if the family meets Head Start or Shared Vision income guidelines but chooses not to go to Head Start or Shared Visions.
4. It is expected that in Dubuque County, families who meet 100% or below the poverty income guidelines and are eligible will go to Head Start, and those who meet 101-130% poverty income guidelines and are eligible will attend the Shared Vision Program (Bright Beginnings, Shared Beginnings, and Epworth Early Childhood Center). Families who meet 130%-185% poverty income guidelines will be eligible for a full preschool scholarship through Dubuque County Empowerment.
5. The income guidelines will follow the most recent poverty levels, which are revised each February/March.
6. The full scholarship is the full cost the preschool would normally charge the parent.
7. The scholarship does NOT include the cost of transportation. Transportation is the responsibility of the parent.
8. If the child moves within the Dubuque County Empowerment Area, the funds will follow the child. If the child moves outside the area, the scholarship will end.
9. The preschool must have a full licensure from the Department of Human Services or the Department of Education.
10. The family has the right to appeal the decision. They must be informed of this right. The Dubuque County Empowerment Board will hear the appeal.
11. The scholarships are on first come, first serve basis. When funding is exhausted, no more scholarships will be granted.
12. If applicants qualify for Head Start and are given a scholarship to attend preschool while Head Start is not in session during the summer, the scholarship will end when the Head Start fall classes begin and the child is expected to participate in Head Start.
13. The preschool provider will maintain documentation of scholarship child’s attendance and submit them to the fiscal agent monthly by the seventh day of the month following the month that services were provided.
14. The preschool provider will submit a CLAIM FORM AND REQUEST FOR PAYMENT for services to the program facilitator, by the seventh day of the month following the month that services were provided.
15. The child must be in attendance for 85% of the school year and absences will be documented by the preschool/center.
16. The time period covered by this agreement is from the date of inception to June 200_, when funding for the preschool scholarship program ends. This agreement may be renewed beyond this date, if additional funding becomes available.
17. Either party for any reason may terminate this agreement with a written 30-day notice of one party to the other.

Respite Program

Healthy parenting requires healthy parents. In order to nurture a child, parents also must take time to nurture themselves. Respite care provides parents with temporary relief from care-giving responsibilities. Parents are free to do whatever they wish while their children are in Respite Care. Some parents use time to run errands, take a class, or do volunteer work while others enjoy unscheduled relaxation. The intent of Respite Care is to provide an “out” before the stresses of parenting build up and overwhelm a family.

This program is made available through Prevent Child Abuse Iowa and Dubuque County Empowerment.
Referrals are made through agencies with which a family may be working. If you have any questions regarding this program or need more information, please call Kathy Wetter, Respite Coordinator, at Child Care Resource & Referral (563) 557-1628 or toll free (866) 296-5331.

Looking for Childcare

If you are a parent looking for childcare, you may call Child Care Resource & Referral, toll free in Iowa (866) 296-5331 or (563) 557-1628. If no one is available in the Dubuque office, you may call 1 (800) 475-0804 in Waterloo, IA, and ask for a referral list.

Links

DHS- www.dhs.state.ia.us
Keystone AEA- www.aea1.k12.ia.us
CCR&R- www.neiowachildcare.org
Project Concern- www.pcrta.org
Prevent Child Abuse Iowa- www.pcaiowa.org/dubuque.html
Dubuque Schools- www.dubuque.k12.ia.us
Archdiocese of Dubuque- www.arch.pvt.k12.ia.us