Our team
Staff
Missie Forbes, Executive Director
Missie is a strong advocate for all things childcare, recognizing that short and long-term solutions are needed to ensure ALL children have access to quality and affordable childcare. She serves on the JoCo Child Care Coalition Leadership Team to address these issues and finds other ways to address gaps in service and barriers to success for anyone interested in the field of early childhood education.
Email: missie@iowa4cs.com
Phone: 319-338-7684 ext. 102
Michele Fink-Shaffer, Childcare Workforce Development Director
Michele works with the Childcare Workforce to educate, retain and develop those interested in working in this profession. She develops our training calendar annually and teaches the majority of our classes. She works with center directors to identify center staff interested in furthering their education and looks for other opportunities to engage and retain the workforce. She oversees our Childcare Workforce Development Program.
Email: michele@iowa4cs.com
Phone: 319-338-7684 ext. 103
Jill Cryer, Childcare Workforce Development Consultant
Jill works closely with providers in our Starting Strong Program to develop business plans and improve their programs to ensure quality and accessibility for all children in Johnson County. She works closely with those within the refugee and immigrant community to help them with their preservice training and is a part of the recruitment team, identifying childcare deserts in Johnson County and implementing recruitment strategies to identify individuals in those neighborhoods with interest in running their own child development homes.
Traci Miller, Director of Nutrition Programs
Elisha Hamm, Food Program Associate
Traci’s role at 4Cs addresses nutrition and access to healthy foods for those from birth to age 5. She is the Child and Adult Care Food Program Coordinator and additionally finds other avenues to address food insecurity for our youngest residents.
Elisha supports home-based childcare programs that participate in the Child and Adult Food Program, which reimburses programs for serving nutritious meals.
Email: traci@iowa4cs.com | elisha@iowa4cs.com
Phone: 319-338-7684 ext. 109
Phone: 319-338-7684 ext. 104
Terrie Doehrmann, Administrative Assistant
Terrie supports daily office activities, facilitates our Crisis Care program, and is responsible for fingerprinting for area childcare providers.
Email: assist@iowa4cs.com
Phone: 319-338-7684 ext. 101
Home Ties Child Care Center
Michele Fink Shaffer, Home Ties Director
As the center director. Michele is responsible for the overall functioning of Home Ties. Michele provides support to the families participating in the program, leadership to the staff, and ensures that the program meets all state licensing requirements.
Email: iowa4cshometies@yahoo.com
Phone: 319-341-0050
Board of Directors
Alice Atkinson
Brook Easton
Jenny Nace
Ben Russell
Brent Bormann
Clark McGuire
Jacklyn Fleagle
Are you interested in serving on our board? Click the link to fill out the 4Cs Board of Directors Application.
For any questions please contact Missie at missie@4csiowa.com
4Cs is grateful for the support of our work by the following funders
- Johnson County Social Services
- Johnson County Empowerment
- United Way of Johnson and Washington Counties
- DHLW ECI-Area
- University of Iowa
- City of Iowa City
- City of Coralville
- City of North Liberty
- Community Foundation of Johnson County
- Community Partners Protecting Children









