An Iowa family advocacy group has launched a new statewide initiative called “Work Well Iowa” to connect supportive workplace policies with family well-being. The group, Iowa ACEs 360, aims to foster practical, solutions-focused conversations about how workplace policies can help Iowans thrive and strengthen communities. Andrea Dencklau, systems innovation director for the organization, emphasizes that supportive workplace policies are essential for community strength, not just optional extras.
“Those include things like paid leave, flexible and predictable scheduling, health and wellness benefits, child care, and all the different ways that those things might be realized in the workplace.”
In Iowa, 76% of Iowa’s children live in homes where their primary caregivers work, Dencklau says, and small workplace policy changes can significantly impact family stability. The official launch event took place earlier this week at the Des Moines Botanical Center, gathering employers, policymakers, and community leaders from around the state.
The initiative includes collecting stories from Iowans about how workplace policies affect their ability to care for themselves and their families, which will inform future policy guidance.
