MADISON, WI — This morning, Representative Johnson (D-Town of Shelby) and her Democratic legislative colleagues unveiled the Child Care Counts Bill. This legislation invests $440 million in Child Care Counts, a statewide program under the Department of Children and Families giving monthly stabilization payments to eligible child care providers.
The 96th Assembly District is a child care desert, with over three children for every regulated child care slot. From November 2021 to December 2024, the Child Care Counts program has brought nearly $3.8 million into our district — support that has helped prevent provider closures and tuition increases.
Federal funds for the Child Care Counts program will run out in June, creating a looming fiscal crisis in the child care industry. Governor Evers initially proposed the $440 million investment in his 2025-27 biennium budget proposal, but Republicans on the Joint Finance Committee stripped it from the budget earlier this month.
Johnson released this statement following the bill’s introduction:
“The economics of child care are broken. Costs to working families are too high but margins for providers are paper-thin. We need sustained state investment in our child care sector. That’s why I am proud to stand alongside my colleagues and introduce this legislation to support our kids and working families.”
