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Government

Iowa Senator Listens to At-Risk Mothers

WVIK News
Nancy Krause, Vice President of Programs and Services at Lutheran Services and Iowa State Senator Chuck Grassley

This week, in Bettendorf, Iowa US Senator Chuck Grassley met with mothers and their young children to learn about the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program.

WVIK News

It assists at-risk first-time mothers, through their pregnancies and until their child turns five.
They also him asked for an increase in funding when the program comes up for renewal next month.

Grassley says, "I don't know whether I agree with the total amount, but there ought to be some funding increase, after being flat for years, particularly with the 9 percent inflation that we have because of the Biden administration not fighting inflation."

The program provides mothers with at-home visits from nurses, social workers, and early childhood educators.

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Grassley says the home visits are a preventative measure. "If we didn't have this program and help upfront to get these mothers and their children off to a good start, its going to cost further down the line."

The Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program helps mothers who may be struggling with mental health issues, addiction, or homelessness.

Government
Susanna Kemerling is WVIK Quad Cities NPR's 2022 Fellowship Host/Reporter. She graduated from Northern Illinois University for Media Studies in Communication and spent the last year working as a Teaching Assistant through the graduate program at NIU.