Vincent Lyles Talks Child Care with the Wisconsin Policy Forum
On Friday, June 9, Milwaukee Succeeds' Executive Director Vincent Lyles joined the Wisconsin Policy Forum for an in-depth discussion on the state of early childhood education. The virtual event was the latest installment in the ongoing Forum Friday series, in which the Policy Forum invites notable guests to share their expertise on a timely research topic.
The Policy Forum's communications director and policy researcher, Mark Sommerhauser, led the informal conversation, which also included Secretary Emilie Amundson of the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families and CEO Sachin Shivaram of the Wisconsin Aluminum Foundry.
To kick off the discussion, Sara Shaw, a senior researcher at the Policy Forum, provided an overview of the recently released report, titled Unpacking the Economics of Early Childhood Education and Care in Wisconsin. The report, supported by research and insights from Milwaukee Succeeds and funded in part by the Greater Milwaukee Foundation, provided yet another look into the broken business model of child care and the crucial need for change. Specifically, Shaw called out the substantial cost of ECE for families, the low pay for staff and the difficulties centers are facing in retaining workers.
Sec. Amundson was the first panelist to weigh in on the state of ECE, giving viewers an important overview of the impact of pandemic relief funding, particularly Child Care Counts, and what could happen when that funding disappears.
"We are still in a situation where waitlists are a mile long, parents and caregivers are struggling to find care, and we are struggling to recruit and retain high-quality ECE educators in our classrooms," she said.
Direct and predictable state aid is a necessary and important long-term component of stabilizing the industry, she argued. But it is only part of the solution. In order to solve this, it requires a broad-based answer that "involves many other players besides government." It also requires a shift in the way we think about child care. Currently, it's considered an individual family decision, but for sustainable change we need to look at it as a social good that contributes to the infrastructure of our communities in the same way as K-12 education.
If policymakers decide not to continue Child Care Counts funding, however, the results could be disastrous, she says. Right off the bat, providers will need to raise tuition. Then, without the bonuses and higher wages provided by relief funding, many educators will be forced to leave the industry, leaving centers short-staffed and at risk of closing.
"50% of folks in the state of Wisconsin currently live in a child care desert," said Amundson. "We simply just cannot afford to have those closures."
Sachin Shiveram provided a different perspective on child care, one of an employer who is taking an active role in making sure child care is accessible for their employees. The Wisconsin Aluminum Foundry participates in the PartnerUp program, which facilitates partnerships between businesses and child care providers. Through PartnerUp!, businesses can reserve subsidized slots in regulated child care programs, with participating families receiving care at little to no out-of-pocket cost. Not only does it help employees, but it also pays the centers the true cost of care, helping sustain the sector.
"It has do with our growth and our ability to get new employees into a difficult environment," said Shiveram. "But much more than that is how are we taking care of the community in which we live?"
Vincent Lyles brought the discussion home, describing the unique nature of our cross-sector ECE Coalition and how we're collaborating with businesses, providers, governmental entities and more to create change.
"Working through the Coalition, you actually get boots-on-the-ground information and you also have a way of being just in time," said Lyles. "By way of this Coalition work, we were able to uncover the serious nature of the broken model that exists in early childhood education and really provide some real support."
In Lyles' previous position at Advocate Aurora Health Care, he witnessed firsthand how a lack of child care can exacerbate the shortage of health care workers. The same holds true for every other industry.
"If Milwaukee is to rise, we'll certainly have to start with our children," he said.
Milwaukee Succeeds is committed to raising public awareness and giving people the tools they need to advocate for change, Lyles explained. One key example of this is the ongoing ECE Ambassadorship, which provides a place for families to learn, network and refine their advocacy skills. We're also working to professionalize the ECE sector, ensuring that educators are trained and supported and have the opportunity to grow.
Lyles summed up the work simply as the discussion wrapped up: "We're trying to help families in Wisconsin do all they can to support their children."
