Parents, caregivers, child care providers and employers in Scott County, Iowa, have until Nov. 6 to share their experiences. The study will help identify gaps in child care availability, affordability and workforce needs.
Oct. 27, 2026.
By Hola America News
SCOTT COUNTY, Iowa — Parents, caregivers, child care providers and employers have until Friday, Nov. 6, 2026, to participate in a countywide study examining access to child care in Scott County, including Davenport, Bettendorf and surrounding communities.
The Scott County Child Care Access Study includes three separate surveys designed to identify barriers to finding affordable care, challenges facing child care businesses and the effects of child care needs on local employment.
Hand in Hand, SAL Community Services, Child Care Resource & Referral of Southeast Iowa and Scott County Kids are partnering on the project. The organizations plan to use the findings to help guide community planning, advocacy and potential investments in child care services.
The surveys are available through ScottCountyChildCareStudy.org. Participation is intended for people whose families, businesses or child care services are connected to Scott County.
Three Scott County surveys are open to families, providers and employers
Each survey addresses a different part of the child care system:
- Parents and caregivers: Questions focus on finding and paying for child care, maintaining reliable arrangements and how care affects employment and family decisions.
- Child care providers: The survey examines enrollment, available spaces, staffing, operating costs and the challenges of maintaining or expanding services.
- Employers: Questions address how child care affects employee attendance, hiring, retention and business operations, along with potential workplace responses.
Families whose current child care arrangements are working well are also encouraged to participate. Organizers want to understand which services meet local needs as well as where additional options may be necessary.
The surveys are designed to collect responses without identifying individual participants in the public findings. Results will be reported in aggregate rather than as individual accounts.
Child care costs and limited availability can affect employment in Scott County
The study will examine the connection between access to child care and decisions about work, household finances and where families live.
Among the questions organizers hope to answer are how often parents reduce work hours or leave jobs because child care arrangements fall through, and whether families with children who need additional support can find suitable care.
Child care providers face a different set of challenges. Staffing, operating costs and enrollment levels can limit the number of children a center or home-based provider can serve, even when families need additional spaces.
Employers may experience these problems through missed work, difficulties filling positions or losing employees who cannot secure consistent child care.
Angie Kendall, CEO of Hand in Hand, said the study is intended to identify specific service gaps and determine where potential investments could make the greatest difference.
The participating organizations have not committed the study to a single proposed solution. Its findings are intended to support decisions by community organizations, employers, funders and public officials.
The special employer survey-link deadline passed Oct. 26
Businesses with 75 or more employees were offered the opportunity to request a dedicated survey link for their workforce. Participating employers could receive a customized report on their employees’ child care needs if at least 10 workers responded.
The deadline to request that dedicated employer link was Monday, Oct. 26. That special request period should not be confused with the general employer survey, which remains scheduled to accept responses through Nov. 6.
Employers participating in the general survey can still provide information about how child care affects recruitment, retention, attendance and operations.
Initial findings are expected in December
The participating organizations expect to release initial findings in December 2026. The results are intended to inform discussions about future child care services, community investments and possible responses to unmet needs.
Organizers say public findings will combine survey responses rather than identify individual participants. Survey participants may also request a copy of the findings once they are available.
Eligible respondents may enter a prize drawing with awards collectively valued at nearly $2,000. Completing a survey does not guarantee a prize, and any entry is subject to the organizers’ eligibility rules.
The study is separate from Iowa child care assistance applications
The Scott County Child Care Access Study is a research initiative. Completing its surveys does not enroll a child in a care program, reserve a child care opening or submit an application for financial assistance.
Iowa’s Department of Health and Human Services child care resources provide separate information about finding providers and the state’s Child Care Assistance program for eligible households.
The deadline for the three Scott County study surveys is Friday, Nov. 6, 2026. Initial study findings are expected in December.
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