MADISON — In every community in the state, families need affordable, high quality child care. Currently, parents are being forced to sacrifice financial stability because they cannot find child care. Today, Democratic legislators are introducing legislation modeled on the successful Child Care Counts program to directly invest in childcare providers and teachers to ensure that there are enough childcare slots to meet the needs of every child and every family in every community.
This successful program has kept thousands of early childhood educators in the classroom, kept child care centers open, kept children in safe and nurturing educational settings, kept costs more affordable, and kept parents in the workforce. We cannot afford another state budget that fails to provide our children and parents with reliable, affordable, high quality childcare. Every child and family in our state deserves the freedom to thrive.
The primary authors of the legislation issued the following statements following the announcement:
Rep. Alex Joers (D-Waunakee): “Building a responsible budget begins with providing the necessary investment for our youngest children. As a parent of two kids under five, I’m sure I join many other parents across this state to say we are exhausted from having to wait for this state legislature to take affordable child care seriously. Now, time’s up. We are pursuing this legislation to establish a comprehensive approach in supporting the care economy for Wisconsin families.”
Rep. Renuka Mayadev (D-Madison): “We must invest in early childhood education. Child care providers are an essential component of our economy’s infrastructure. We need to support the workers that keep the doors open and the lights on. By investing in this infrastructure, Wisconsin wins. Parents will be able to work. Employers will have a reliable workforce. Children will build the skills for school and beyond. And we will lay a foundation for a thriving economy today and in the future.”
Sen. Sarah Keyeski (D-Lodi): “As a mom of six kids who depended on child care when my children were young, I know first-hand how necessary high-quality, affordable child care is. In Wisconsin, rural communities like the one I live in are most affected by lack of access to child care, with 70% of these communities being considered a child care desert. This equates to thousands of children who are left without the care they need and parents who are forced to leave the workforce or make long commutes out of town to the next child care facility with the capacity to accept new kids. Urgently investing in a strong, stable, and accessible child care industry is imperative for the wellness of our kids, the well-being of our families, and the economic vitality of our state.”
Sen. Kelda Roys (D-Madison): “Our goal is to ensure every family has the resources to thrive in every community in Wisconsin. That starts with a direct investment in childcare providers to ensure early childhood educators can afford to stay in their professions, teaching our youngest children, and preparing them for school and for life. Our present workforce and future success depends on making a meaningful public investment in child care right now.”
