Child Care Feasibility Study

Study Overview

The Story County Child Care Feasibility Study will deliver a practical, evidence-based roadmap that improves access, affordability, and quality while supporting Story County’s families, providers, and employers.

Pendulum Dependent Care Solutions, a nationally recognized leader in child care feasibility and strategic planning, is conducting the comprehensive four-month study (November 2025–February 2026).

Pendulum will be conducting a brief community survey to better understand current and future child care needs across Story County.

This survey is intended for parents and caregivers in Story County who:

  • Are currently using child care, or
  • Are currently seeking or in need of child care, or
  • Expect to need child care in the future (for example, due to a new child, change in work or school schedule, or upcoming transition)
Take the Parent/Caregiver Survey

The study will provide:

Data and analysis we can use:
A full picture of what child care looks like now and in the future, including how many spots exist, what families can afford, where care is located, and the current state of the child care workforce.

Solutions we can put into action:
Clear recommendations for what our community can do next—such as which expansion options to prioritize, where partnerships can be built, how to fund these efforts, and a step-by-step plan for moving forward.

Community input and a shared direction:
Feedback from families, child care providers, employers, and local organizations across the county, along with measures to track progress and communication tools to help keep everyone aligned on the same goals.

Goals and Outcomes

This evidence-based feasibility study will:

  • quantify access and affordability gaps,  
  • assess the educator pipeline and wage/benefit barriers, and  
  • identify priority sites, partnership models, and financing pathways to add capacity and stabilize quality within 6–36 months, with shared KPIs to track access, affordability, quality, and workforce outcomes. 

Study Partners

The Child Care Feasibility Study is a collaborative effort between the following partners:  

  • Ames Regional Economic Alliance (AREA)
  • United Way of Story County (UWSC)
  • Iowa State University
  • City of Ames
  • Story County Board of Supervisors
  • Story County Medical Center
  • Nevada Economic Development Council 

 

Understanding the Child Care Challenge in Our Community

Why do we need this information? Our community faces many challenges in this area:  

  • Families face lengthy waitlists, unaffordable costs, and limited options for infant care and nontraditional hours. Story County has over 5,000 children under age 6, with 65% of families having all parents in the workforce (Iowa Child Care Resource & Referral Data, Sept. 29, 2025).
  • Employers experience increased absenteeism, turnover, and recruitment challenges when employees cannot secure reliable child care.
  • Our local economy loses productivity and potential as talented workers leave the workforce or decline opportunities in Story County.
  • Our future workforce depends on early childhood education that prepares children for success.