Milwaukee’s Leaders Celebrate Early Childhood Education
Why is early childhood education (ECE) so important for Milwaukee? That was the question Milwaukee Succeeds posed to community and business leaders across the city in April in honor of NAEYC’s Week of the Young Child.
And those leaders responded – passionately describing the ways in which ECE benefits children, parents and our society as a whole. Combined, their words create a powerful statement about the importance of the industry and why we need to come together to protect it.
What is Week of the Young Child?
Established in 1971 by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), the Week of the Young Child shines a spotlight on the needs of young children and their families and emphasizes the importance of early childhood programs that meet those needs.
Ann McClain Terrell, president of NAEYC and a member of Milwaukee’s Early Childhood Education Coalition, was more than happy to lend her voice in honor of Milwaukee Succeeds’ celebrations.
“NAEYC has been celebrating the Week of the Young Child for over 50 years now,” she says, “and each year the celebrations have gotten bigger, with more people acknowledging the importance of those early years, birth through age 8, in a child's development and the special people - early childhood educators - who care for and educate them.”
So why is ECE important for Milwaukee?
Our respondents spanned industries, representing everything from education and employment to health care and city government. Their responses to the question were similarly diverse, yet each contained one key message: Providing quality ECE is essential for our children and our city.
According to Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson, “High-quality early care and education is vital to Milwaukee's economic development because it allows the parents of young children to participate in the workforce.”
Not only that, but it also builds a strong, diverse workforce for years to come.
“ECE offers a 13% return on investment for a future strong workforce,” states John Meurer, a pediatrician and community health professor at the Medical College of Wisconsin.
Chytania Brown, president and CEO of Employ Milwaukee, seconds that. “Research has shown time and time again, the earlier we educate young people, the better off they are when it comes down to their employment pathways and becoming high-wage earners.”
Other benefits of high-quality ECE are more immediate, such as the impact it has on the positive development of a child’s brain and skillset.
“You’re talking about a time in a child’s life when over 70% of brain development is occurring,” says Thomas Rosenthal, assistant director of philanthropy programs at Northwestern Mutual and a member of Milwaukee Succeeds’ Funders Collaborative. “And that development is influenced by relationships, experiences and environment — all factors that a quality ECE center positively impacts.”
Take it from a doctor: “Children need early education to support their healthy growth, optimal development, social skills and love of learning,” adds Meurer.
ECE also plays an essential role in properly preparing children for kindergarten and the remainder of their K-12 education.
Retired MPS kindergarten teacher Joan Keating has firsthand experience with this, noting, “Students who entered my classroom who had caregivers that encouraged oral language development, early literacy and math skills, as well as socialization skills, were significantly more advanced than their peers.”
Dr. Vicki Martin, president of MATC, adds that students who attend quality ECE programs are also more likely to graduate from high school than their peers who did not.
The Issues Facing ECE
Despite the clear importance of ECE, the industry is struggling.
Mayor Johnson frames the problem perfectly: “In Milwaukee, too many families don't have access to high-quality, affordable early care and education, and the gaps are biggest in our Black and brown neighborhoods.” (Check out the State of ECE in Milwaukee to learn more.)
The difficulties surrounding recruitment and retention are two of the main issues contributing to these gaps, with almost 80% of providers reporting staffing shortages.
“These staffing shortages are caused by low compensation and a broken business model for early childcare,” says Mayor Johnson.
‘Our voices are stronger together’
“This is our moment to join forces to advocate for increased public and private investment in quality ECE and for increased pay for early educators, almost all of whom are Black and brown women,” states Ellen Gilligan, president and CEO of the Greater Milwaukee Foundation. “Our voice is stronger together. Our children are counting on us.”
Leaders across Milwaukee echoed this call, appealing for increased resources, investments and attention for ECE and its educators.
“Join us in supporting this important cause for the sake of the future success of all of our children,” says Martin.
Meurer adds one final call to action for everyone in the city and across the state: “Please help us to make every week about better educating our young children.”
