MADISON, WIS. – Wisconsin Early Childhood Association applauds the introduction of a bill package that seeks to lower child care costs for families and continue support for child care providers.
WECA and its Center for Policy, Research and Engagement say the bills, introduced on Thursday by state Rep. Alex Joers (D-Waunakee) and Sen. LaTonya Johnson (D-Milwaukee), are a welcome focus on affordability challenges and the child care workforce.
“Together, this package represents a meaningful step forward for affordability, access, and provider stability,” said Paula Drew, WECA’s director of ECE Policy and Research. “The bills acknowledge and directly work to address persistent challenges experienced by providers and parents across the state.”
The package focuses on changes to the Wisconsin Shares Subsidy program to allow more families to be eligible for support, lowers family copayments to reduce the financial burden, along with another proposal that would allow any child care provider to be personally eligible for Shares regardless of income. These bills address the realities of persistent affordability challenges, along with a focus on providers, whose wages remain low and, at times, at or below poverty level.
The proposed legislation also would provide funding for workforce training initiatives for prospective child care providers, including an initiative focused on Tribal early educators.
“These are good steps that recognize the challenges parents face,” said Taylor Vande Vyver, a parent from Kimberly who partners with WECA to engage families in child care advocacy across the state. “But, the work on child care in Wisconsin is far from over – we need legislators to keep focusing on ways to support the early childhood workforce, which will, in turn, better support families.”
The bill package was officially introduced, but it is not yet known if it will be taken up for consideration by Assembly and Senate committees.
For more information on the WECA Center for Policy, Research and Engagement, visit www.wisconsinearlychildhood.org.
