Gov. Evers, DCF Reveal Concerning Results of Child Care Survey
Children play in an early childhood education classroom at La Causa in Milwaukee.
On September 16, Governor Tony Evers released a press release highlighting the findings of the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families' (DCF) Child Care Supply and Demand Survey, which revealed a troubling shortage of staff in the state’s child care industry. According to the research, nearly 60% of child care providers have unused capacity, mainly due to staffing issues, leaving an estimated 33,000 children without access to care. The full press release can be found here.
The survey shows a significant impact on both families and the workforce. Many working parents depend on accessible, high-quality child care to maintain employment and support their families. However, with providers forced to close classrooms or reduce available slots due to staff shortages, finding affordable child care has become increasingly challenging. Milwaukee Succeeds, along with its Early Childhood Education (ECE) Ambassadors and the MKE ECE Coalition, has been advocating for increased investment in child care programs like Child Care Counts to address these issues.
According to the DCF survey, Wisconsin’s child care centers can only pay lead teachers an average of $13.55/hour due to razor-thin profit margins. This wage is less than half of the state’s average hourly wage of $28.34, making it difficult to retain or attract qualified early care professionals. Providers also report growing waitlists, with 48,000 children currently waiting for available spots. Meanwhile, the cost of child care continues to strain family budgets, often exceeding other major expenses like rent or mortgage payments.
The City of Milwaukee faces an even more severe crisis than the state as a whole, as detailed in Milwaukee Succeeds' new report, Building Foundations. The report found that the annual cost of ECE in Milwaukee stands at $18,110 - over one-third of the city's median household income, 102% more than in-state tuition for a four-year public college and 54% more than the average annual rent.
DCF Secretary Jeff Pertl linked the state’s staffing shortages directly to recent cuts in the Child Care Counts program, which provided crucial support to child care providers, including funds to maintain competitive wages and benefits. The program, launched in 2020 with federal relief dollars, has delivered over $750 million to over 5,300 child care providers, helping them keep their doors open, retain staff and care for more than 364,000 children.
Despite its success, the program's future is uncertain. Governor Evers’ proposal to make Child Care Counts a permanent, state-funded initiative with a $340 million investment was ultimately removed from the 2023-25 state budget by the Republican-controlled legislature. In response, Evers directed $170 million in emergency funds to extend the program through June 2025, but the lack of a long-term solution leaves many providers and families in a precarious position.
The new survey serves as a stark reminder of the challenges facing Wisconsin’s child care industry. Without further investment and policy support, thousands of children will continue to lack access to critical early education, and providers will struggle to stay afloat.
