Madison – Today, Representative Billings and Senator Pfaff visited the La Crosse Central Head Start Center to recognize A Day Without Child Care. This national advocacy day emphasizes the importance of child care providers to families, children, employers, and our economy and community. Representative Billings is the ranking member of the Children and Families Committee and released the following statement:
“Wisconsin’s child care providers are a cornerstone of our communities. Economic uncertainty and staffing challenges are impacting many industries, but the ripple effects of child care shortages can be felt by employers in all industries in our state. Families are strained by the cost and limited availability of child care and a Day Without Child Care reminds us of just how crucial child care is in Wisconsin.”
“This is particularly important in the wake of the vote by Republicans on the Joint Committee on Finance to slash $442 million in child care funding included in the Governor’s 2025-27 state budget. A recent study published by UW Madison and the Department of Children and Families found that more than a quarter of child care providers in Wisconsin are more likely to close without state support. These cuts will cause real harm in our communities and I hope that a Day Without Child Care will remind members of the Joint Committee on Finance of the importance of child care for both children and their parents.”
“Wisconsin has a historic state surplus. Wisconsin families are facing rising prices, chaos from the federal government that has put programs like Head Start in jeopardy, and economic uncertainty, and it is irresponsible for our state government to ignore the child care crisis in our state as families are struggling. I am incredibly grateful for the invaluable work of child care providers and I urge my fellow elected officials to consider how our communities and our state would be changed and harmed without child care.”
