State Choices to Promote Effective Parenting
- Extends Medicaid coverage for family planning to otherwise ineligible low-income women [2018]2
Iowa operates an entirely state-funded program to provide family planning services. Eligibility based on income up to 300% FPL. - Exempts single parents on TANF from work requirements until the youngest child reaches age 1 [FY 2016]3
Parent must return to work when child is 3 months. Although recipients are not exempt, they may be absent from work without sanction if they have a new born child. Absence from activities is determined using the standards of the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993. The maximum time available for one parent is 12 work weeks during any 12-month period. - Reduces the TANF work requirement to 20 hours or less for single parents with children under age 6 [FY 2016]3
State Choices to Promote Family Economic Security
- Established a state minimum wage that meets or exceeds $9.10/hr and is indexed to inflation [2016]4
$7.25 - Exempts single-parent families of three below the federal poverty level from personal income tax [2016]5
- Offers a refundable state Earned Income Tax Credit [2017]6
15% of federal Earned Income Tax Credit. - Offers a refundable state dependent care tax credit [FY 2016]7
Under Iowa Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit, the maximum refundable credit is $1,575. Eligible tax filers can claim the higher of the child and dependent care tax provision or the state's Early Childhood Development Tax Credit, which is worth up to $250 per eligible child, but not both. - Keeps copayments for child care subsidies below 10% of family income for families of three at 150% FPL [2015]8
Family would be eligible for assistance if they were using special needs care; otherwise ineligible. - Offers exemptions and/or extensions of the TANF benefit time limit for women who are pregnant or caring for a child under age 6 [FY 2016]3
- Has paid family leave for a minimum of 6 weeks with partial replacement of wages [2018]9
Data Notes and Sources
Last Updated: May 13, 2015
Send us recent developments to update your state's profile.
- National data were calculated from the 2011 American Community Survey, representing information from 2011. State data were calculated from the 2009-2011 American Community Survey, representing information from the years 2009 to 2011.
- Guttmacher Institute. (2018). Medicaid Family Planning Eligibility Expansions. New York, NY: Guttmacher Institute. Https://www.guttmacher.org (accessed January 3, 2018).
- Giannarelli, L., Heffernan, C., Minton, S., Thompson, M., & Stevens, K. (2017). Welfare Rules Databook: State TANF Policies as of July 2016. OPRE Report 2017-82. Washington, DC: Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.acf.hhs.gov (accessed December 19, 2017).
- National Conference of State Legislatures. 2016. State minimum wages: 2016 minimum wages by state. Washington, DC: NCSL. Http://www.ncsl.org (accessed February 18, 2016).
- National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP), 50-State Policy Tracker. (2016). 50-State Data, Income Tax Liability. http://nccp.org (accessed July 20, 2018).
- Williams, E., & Waxman, S. (2018). States Can Adopt or Expand Earned Income Tax Credits to Build a Stronger Future Economy. Washington, DC: Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. https://www.cbpp.org (accessed June 29, 2018).
- National Women's Law Center. (2017). State Child Care and Dependent Care, Tax Provisions, Tax Year 2016. Washington, DC: National Women's Law Center. https://nwlc.org (accessed December 19, 2017).
- Schulman, Karen; Blank, Helen. 2015. Building Blocks State Child Care Assistance Policies 2015. National Women's Law Center. Http://www.nwlc.org (accessed November 11, 2015).
- National Conference of State Legislatures. (2018). State Family Medical Leave and Parental Leave Laws. Washington, DC: National Conference of State Legislatures. http://www.ncsl.org (accessed July 20, 2018).