MADISON, Wis — Today Representative Angela Stroud, alongside fellow Democratic lawmakers, introduced the Child Care Counts bill, a $480 million investment to keep child care providers open and costs down, all while supporting working families.
The bill would continue the successful Child Care Counts program, which was started with COVID-era federal money. Child Care Counts supports more than 3,300 providers, 22,000 workers, and 113,000 children statewide. Providers report that these dollars have allowed them to attract and retain employees and open up more spots for families, all while keeping costs down. When those funds run out this summer, the industry will be forced either to raise rates or close their doors.
Governor Evers included this funding in his budget, but legislative Republicans removed it, putting families, providers, and employers at risk.
Wisconsin is the only state in the country that fails to put state funds into supporting child care. Over half of Wisconsin, including 70 percent of rural areas, can now be defined as a “child care desert,” a term used to define any region where there are three children for every available childcare spot.
“My district faces both a severe child care shortage and a workforce shortage. These issues are linked. Parents are often in the impossible position of working a job that barely covers the cost of their child care—if it does at all—or having to quit work because there are no options available.
“The problems in my district are not unique. My colleagues around the state are hearing the same stories from their constituents. We must fund child care, and we must do so now, before federal dollars run out and even more centers are forced to close.”
