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Helping People. Changing Lives.
November 2020 Volume 31; Issue 2
From the Executive Director's Desk
I am writing this on November 4th as election day has passed. It seems that the Presidential race is still too close to call and a few of the senate/house races as well. Whatever the outcome, the next 4 years will bring some changes. Our services have always been supported by both major political parties. It is our responsibility to make sure that elected officials understand the impact of what we do. Those discussions will be ongoing regardless of political party.

With November comes LIHEAP, Holiday Projects, and year-end reporting. This is a busy time for all agency departments. I’m hoping for a mild winter as cold and snow can have significant impacts on our budgets. 

Lana Shope, Executive Director of the Iowa Community Action Association, has accepted a position with the National Community Action Partnership. We wish her well and know that she will be successful in her new position. Lana has had a significant impact during her time with us. She will be missed. A search committee has been appointed and the process of finding a replacement is underway.

The 2021 Iowa legislative session will be upon us very soon. The state budget ended with a surplus on June 30, 2020 which is very good. The coming year will most likely include discussions on child care, the pandemic and the Iowa economic forecast. Iowa seems to be regaining some economic strength which is positive for all of us.

The coming weeks will be busy with year-end reporting and winter projects.  
CHILD CARE RESOURCE & REFERRAL
Child Care Resource & Referral (CCR&R) is excited to announce the new recruitment and retention website page. CCR&R Iowa Women’s Foundation (IWF) and IowaWORKS partnered to bring tips and tricks on the recruitment and retention process for child care providers around the state. Check out our new recruitment and retention page here. On this page, child care providers will be assisted with finding an audience, attracting child care individuals to their business, how to sell their company culture and identifying benefits to offer to keep those essential workers in the field! They will utilize this information and prepare their job description to help their centers with recruitment and retention.

IowaWORKS partnered with CCR&R staff, Danielle Hale and Rebekah Hungate hosting a Center Director Lunch and Learn. Center Directors learned how to use IowaWORKS’ FREE resources and learned about creating an account to benefit centers in the future! Check out the Center Director Lunch and Learn posted at the bottom of the job postings page here!  
Child Care Ready by CCR&R has also kicked into gear! A new Northwest Iowa provider attending session one of Child Care Ready stated, “I am so grateful to have something like this in place.” Danielle Hale, Rebekah Hungate and all of the CCR&R staff have made it their priority to support child care providers in finishing the Child Care Ready core package by the end of the grant cycle so that these providers have the opportunity to receive starter health and safety incentives. Way to go team!
LYON COUNTY OUTREACH
This year has definitely been a challenge with COVID-19 and we have seen the effects in our Lyon County office. We have not been in our Lyon County office on a regular basis since March, but our staff are working full-time out of our Sioux Center office and are always available to families by phone or email. Clients have been very understanding. We will be having some hours in our Rock Rapids office in November, but we encourage everyone to call before coming to be sure there is someone there.

We are in full swing of the Low-income Home Energy Assistance Program (LiHEAP). We continue to take applications for this program, as well as our crisis applications, over the phone. Clients are able to email, mail, or fax their information into our office in Sioux Center for their application to be completed. We will need the following documents to complete an application:

  • Social Security cards for all members of the household
  • Recent heat and electric bills
  • Proof of income for the previous 30 days or last year’s taxes 

As of the end of October, we have approved 98 applications in Lyon County. That is almost half of what we had approved for the whole LiHEAP season in 2019-2020. 

We have also been assisting the Iowa Community Action Association and the Iowa
Finance Authority with applications for the Eviction Protection Program. Funds were available through the CARES Act for Iowans impacted by COVID-19 and facing hardships. The program provides short-term relief to income-eligible renters or homeowners at risk of eviction or foreclosure. For questions on how to apply for this program, please contact our office.

For questions on any of our services, please contact Sarah Kennedy, Sioux/Lyon County Outreach Coordinator—712-722-3611/712-472-3746—skennedy@midsioux.org
418 S. Marion Street | Remsen, IA 51050 | 712-786-2001 | 800-859-2025