The state on Monday announced a second round of child care business incentive grants to help  businesses support the creation of child care openings in their communities. A total of $443,234 will be awarded through Iowa Workforce Development and the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services to five projects involving 11 businesses that will create 77 new child care slots. According to a news release, the grants will increase flexibility in child care openings through employer-sponsored child care where businesses partner with child care centers to create space for their employees in addition to existing slots. The awards announced Monday include:

• Versova Management, Sioux Center (15 new slots).
• HNI Corp., Muscatine (eight new slots).
• MercyOne Medical Center, Waterloo (36 new slots).
• Siouxland DQ, Sergeant Bluff (10 new slots).
• Mason City Chamber Foundation, Mason City (eight new slots).

The grants will be used to fund part of the cost of child care for employees. All projects were also required to provide a plan for sustainability of the outcome beyond the grant funding. This grant program advances one of the top recommendations of the Child Care Task Force. So far, $75 million has been awarded over the past two years to more than 190 projects to create more than 10,700 child care openings, the release stated.