Finance Committee Recommends ARPA Investment in ECE

On Friday, October 15, the Milwaukee Common Council’s Finance and Personnel Committee recommended approval of a $7 million investment of ARPA funds into Milwaukee’s ECE sector. This proposal was developed and supported by the Milwaukee ECE Coalition, led by Milwaukee Succeeds. Alderwoman Marina Dimitrijevic introduced it to the Council and championed for its approval. In the coming weeks, the proposal will go before the full Council for a vote.

“We have an obligation to eliminate child care deserts and make sure every child in Milwaukee, regardless of their race or zip code, has proper access,” said Alderwoman Dimitrijevic in a news release from the Common Council.

Specifics of the Proposal

This proposal focused on several key areas of the ECE sector, with the ultimate goal of increasing access to quality, affordable ECE care - particularly for Milwaukee’s Black and Brown families. First, it would provide stipends to ECE professionals in order to decrease turnover rates, providing children with more stable relationships with better-educated teachers. It would also provide an investment into Milwaukee Area Technical College’s dual enrollment program. This program enables students to attend college while still enrolled in high school and studying early childhood education, thereby strengthening the pipeline into the ECE workforce.

Investments would also be made into MKE Rising and Leading Men Fellows, which both work to increase the representation of men of color in the ECE workforce.

To read the Common Council’s full report, click here.