The Community Speaks Out on the Failure to Invest in Child Care Counts
The Northside YMCA Early Childhood Education Center. Photo by Jim Moy.
After months of advocacy activities and community engagement campaigns in support of Child Care Counts, June brought the news that the Wisconsin Legislature would not be funding the program through the state’s 2023-25 budget. This disappointing decision will have far-reaching consequences for early childhood education (ECE) in Milwaukee, yet the move has served to strengthen the community’s calls for change and invigorate the search for new opportunities to support the sector.
Child Care Counts
A young child plays outside at the Northside YMCA . Photo by Jim Moy.
“Child Care Counts offered a lifeline to Milwaukee’s ECE sector,” said Ellen Gilligan and Vincent Lyles in an official statement, “with providers using program funding to recruit and retain staff, improve program quality, and reduce costs for families.”
Created during the pandemic to allocate federal relief funds, Child Care Counts represented a significant public investment into ECE, with over 1,600 Milwaukee providers receiving more than $117 million in aid. The program aimed to increase access to high-quality care by helping providers with operating costs, as well as supporting the workforce through recruitment and retention.
A Milwaukee Succeeds report, titled Making Every Dollar Count, used survey data from Milwaukee providers to demonstrate just how effective the program was. The overarching theme that arose was simple: “Child Care Counts funding saved us.” It allowed centers to provide stipends to employees, invest in teaching tools and even just pay their bills. In fact, according to a NAEYC survey, 28% of respondents would have closed permanently without this support.
Funding for the program is slated to run out in January of 2024. The Milwaukee Succeeds-led ECE Coalition, along with the statewide Raising Wisconsin coalition, formulated an ask of $300 million to ensure the program continued. Yet the legislature’s final budget failed to include anything for this crucial program.
What the Decision Means
“The legislature’s decision not to fund the proven, effective Child Care Counts program will have profound consequences for Milwaukee ECE programs, families and businesses,” says Daria Hall, Milwaukee Succeeds’ ECE director.
According to the same NAEYC survey, 60% of surveyed providers say they’ll have to increase tuition once the funding expires. With care for one infant already averaging $16,236/year – or 26% of the mean household income – many families won’t be able to afford the increase. The high price tag will force parents, predominately mothers, out of the workforce, creating a dangerous ripple effect for the economy.
In addition, 33% of providers report that they’ll need to cut wages or pull back pandemic-era wage increases. Since Milwaukee’s early educators only make an average of $13/hour without benefits, a cut to their wages will make the career unlivable, forcing them out of the industry. This, in turn, will intensify current staffing shortages, which affect 50% of the city’s ECE programs. Fewer staff means fewer slots for children, lengthening wait lists that are already months long.
“The reality of this decision is that early childhood education centers will close, tuition will increase, and parents will likely need to leave the workforce to care for their small children,” says ECE Ambassador Vanessa Giraldez.
Our Collective Advocacy
Three ECE Ambassadors at the April 5 Joint Finance Committee listening session.
“As we confront this harm,” says Daria, “we also celebrate the truly astonishing collective advocacy of educators and families, as well as business, philanthropic and civic leaders.”
Over the past few months, Milwaukee Succeeds’ ECE Ambassadors, partners and coalition members have shown what true dedication looks like, becoming tireless champions for the cause. One particularly strong showing was during the Joint Finance Committee’s listening session on April 5. Parents, early educators, business leaders and more turned up in Waukesha to speak out about their struggles with child care and call for change with a united voice.
The Ambassadors have also taken their stories to the streets, engaging with community members during various events to spread the word about the need for investment while growing their own list of ECE champions. Several Ambassadors and coalition members even shared their ECE experiences with the press, describing the challenges they’ve faced as parents and educators in hopes of inspiring people to action.
“It is up to us to continue to fight for our children,” says ECE Ambassador LaDonna Foster. “We can’t let them down. They are depending on us. Invest in our children and watch them grow into leaders of our future!"
Fighting for the Future of Child Care
A toddler plays with toys at the Northside YMCA. Photo by Jim Moy.
“Disappointed? Yes! Defeated? No!” says fellow Ambassador Taffie Foster-Toney. “I am even more determined to continue my work in advocating for our children, families, teachers and providers!”
Taffie’s commitment mirrors that of many, including the wider ECE Coalition. For them, the legislature’s decision isn’t the end, but rather a push to find new ways of supporting the sector. According to Daria, the recent Dream Up! Grant is an excellent example of this continued commitment.
The $75,000 grant, awarded through the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families (DCF), aims to build ECE capacity in the state's many child care deserts. The Latino Entrepreneurial Network and the ECE Coalition were one of nine cross-sector teams to receive the award, and they’ll use the funds to support Spanish-speaking family child care programs in the Proveedoras Unidas network.
Dream Up! is a step in the right direction, showing what true collaboration can accomplish, but so much more is needed if we hope to support and stabilize the industry. Thankfully, our growing community of champions is committed to change.
As Vanessa says: “We will continue to tirelessly engage state legislators, to ensure they hear the message that Wisconsin families value and need high-quality, affordable early education for our youngest minds.”
