Gov. Tony Evers, together with the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families (DCF), today announced the results of DCF’s Child Care Supply and Demand Survey, which found almost 60 percent of providers across the state have unutilized capacity, such as closed classrooms, due primarily to staff shortages. Providers report that if they were able to operate at full capacity, they could serve up to 33,000 more kids. “Working parents across our state depend on having high-quality, affordable child care so they can get to work and feed their families, but with providers closing their doors and reducing slots due to staffing, affordable child care is becoming harder and harder to find,” said Gov. Evers. “This is not sustainable. If we want to address our state’s generational workforce challenges, we must make sure child care centers have the resources they need to keep their doors open, pay their staff fairly, and serve as many kids as possible. It’s as simple as that.”
The program, launched in 2021, has been instrumental in addressing the child care crisis in the state. The program has been successful in reducing the cost of child care for families, making it more affordable and accessible. The program has also helped to improve the quality of care by attracting and retaining qualified staff.
This cost is significantly higher than the national average of $8,000. The report also found that the cost of childcare in Wisconsin is increasing at a faster rate than the national average. This means that families are facing a greater financial burden as they struggle to afford childcare. Furthermore, the report found that the cost of childcare in Wisconsin is disproportionately affecting low-income families.
The Child Care Counts Program has been a crucial factor in addressing the child care crisis, but it is facing challenges. These challenges include a lack of funding, insufficient support for providers in certain areas, and a need for greater coordination between state and federal agencies. To address these challenges, a long-term investment in the program is crucial.
The program has been instrumental in addressing the workforce shortage in the Child Care Counts program. The program has also helped to improve the quality of care by providing training and professional development opportunities for child care providers. The Child Care Counts program has been a significant contributor to the economic development of the state.
Additionally, Gov. Evers has repeatedly called on the Legislature to pass his comprehensive workforce plan, which would stabilize Wisconsin’s child care industry and prevent its collapse, among other issues facing Wisconsin’s workforce. Similar to his original budget proposal, Gov. Evers’ comprehensive workforce plan would have provided more than $340 million for the Child Care Counts Program. After months of Republicans delaying action on Gov. Evers’ comprehensive workforce plan to help keep child care provider doors open and provide direct investments designed to immediately help parents afford child care, Gov. Evers directed $170 million in emergency stopgap funding to DCF to continue the Child Care Counts Program at current funding levels through June 2025.
100 proposal to the Wisconsin Legislature. This proposal, which was part of the state’s economic development strategy, aimed to attract and retain businesses in Wisconsin. The proposal focused on several key areas, including:
