About Story County Empowerment

What is Empowerment?

Iowa Community Empowerment began in 1998 as a statewide initiative to build partnership between communities and state government with an emphasis to improve the wellbeing and quality of life for children ages 0 to 5 years and their families.  There are 58 community empowerment areas across Iowa that represent 99 counties.

Story County received designation as a community empowerment area in 1999.  Story County Empowerment partners with various community agencies and organizations to conduct community assessment and planning efforts to address the needs of children and families throughout Story County, including the cities of Ames, Cambridge, Collins, Colo, Gilbert, Huxley, Kelley, McCallsburg, Maxwell, Nevada, Roland, Slater, Story City, and Zearing.

Story County Empowerment partners with community agencies and organizations, including Story County Decategorization, Story County ASSET, Story County Community Partnership for Protecting Children, and Story County Childhood Collaboration.  The Empowerment and Decategorization projects share staff coordination services, which further enhances planning efforts to meet identified needs within Story County.

Targeted results and priorities for Story County Empowerment:

Iowa Community Empowerment identifies five result areas that all community empowerment areas strive to achieve.  These result areas are: 1) Healthy Children, 2) Children Ready to Succeed in School, 3) Safe and Supportive Communities, 4) Secure and Nurturing Families, and 5) Secure and Nurturing Child Care Environments. 

Story County Empowerment identifies the following priorities:

• Provide coordinated prenatal and postnatal services.
• Provide educational training and support for parents and early childhood providers.
• Provide affordable, quality, accessible child and infant care
• Provide affordable, quality, accessible early childhood experiences

Comprehensive Services and Supports

Community empowerment areas receive annual funding allocations from the State.  Funds include:

• School Ready Funds are used to provide comprehensive services for children birth through five years of age.  Funds are used to address preschool access for low-income families, family support and education (including home visitation services), and other early care, health, and education issues.
• Early Childhood Funds are used to enhance the quality and capacity of child care.  Funds are used to support recruitment of providers, child care for mildly ill children, second or third shift and infant care, quality improvements for center and home based providers, and support for registration and licensure.

 Story County Empowerment Office

The Story County Empowerment office is located in the Story County Human Services Building at 126 South Kellogg Avenue, Suite 101, in Ames, Iowa.  Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.  Feel free to contact us with questions. 

Ann Lundvall, Coordinator

Phone: 515-268-2276

E-mail: alundva@dhs.state.ia.us

Tracy Chaska, Administrative Assistant

Phone:  515-956-2591
E-mail:  tchaska@dhs.state.ia.us