January 20, 2025

EveryStep Advocates for Care and Support Issues

Iowa Capitol dome

As one of Iowa’s largest and longest-standing nonprofit organizations, EveryStep strives to provide Iowans with compassion, dignity and empathy in every interaction at every stage of their lives.

For these reasons, EveryStep employees, volunteers and supporters are gathering in the Iowa Capitol rotunda on Tuesday, January 21, to raise awareness and encourage legislative action on important health care issues. EveryStep is advocating for two primary legislative priorities in 2025:

  1. Continued funding of EveryStep’s grief support programs for Iowa students. Since 2018, EveryStep’s Amanda the Panda program has provided services in Iowa schools to support children experiencing grief and loss. In 2021, the Iowa Legislature began providing yearly funding to allow expansion of those services beyond the Des Moines metro. Currently, school-based grief groups are offered in 39 schools in 18 counties. EveryStep asks for continued support of the program and an additional investment of $200,000 to sustain and grow the program to include additional rural school districts.
  2. Increased, sustainable funding for programs supported by Medicaid reimbursement, Early Childhood Iowa grants, Family Home Visiting funding, and Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health grant funding. EveryStep’s services are there when families need them most, offering patience, respect and understanding — meeting their immediate and long-term needs with comfort and empathy.

The combination of continued flat Medicaid reimbursement and grant funding, coupled with the increased cost of providing these services makes it harder for EveryStep to provide care as the need in Iowa continues to grow. Nonprofits like EveryStep cannot rely on philanthropic funding to fill these funding gaps.

EveryStep will continue to engage with key legislators, advocating for support and tracking legislation that could affect the health and well-being of Iowans.

If you or someone you know is struggling to find the support they need, please contact EveryStep at 515-558-9946 or complete the commitment-free, confidential “Find Care” form on EveryStep’s website. EveryStep staff will follow up with a phone call to answer your questions and provide assistance.

EveryStep is a nonprofit health care and human services organization which last year served over 43,000 Iowans. EveryStep is known for its ability to provide exceptional care and support when it is needed most. From hospice and home care to programs for growing families and grief support, EveryStep’s nearly 400 employees and hundreds of volunteers ensure comfort, dignity and peace of mind in life’s most challenging times. There is at least one EveryStep program available to residents in every Iowa county.