Wait lists. High costs. Our child care system is broken.

A young learner plays at the Metro Milwaukee YMCA early childhood center. Photo by Jim Moy.

This article by ECE Ambassador Callie Colbo was originally published in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. It's part of a special report by the Ideas Lab on child care in Wisconsin ahead of a special session of the legislature on September 20.

Have you ever had to turn down an ideal career opportunity?

I was working in a Milwaukee school as a reading tutor when I became pregnant for the first time. I knew I’d need child care in order to work the following school year. My husband and I began researching providers. Parents we knew at the time were only using friends, family, and taking advantage of flexible work schedules to stitch together child care while they worked. I thought this was all out of choice and not necessity. However, I quickly found out that a lot of child care situations happen more by circumstance and less by choice.

I contacted eight different child care centers. All of them had waitlists ranging from 3 to 9 months. None of them could guarantee an opening by a specific time. Not having friends or family in the nearby area that could provide immediate care 40 hours a week, I knew I wouldn’t be able to accept a role without a guaranteed child care spot. I left the workforce and became a stay-at-home mom.

College-Like Costs

An infant plays in an early childhood education classroom at the Metro Milwaukee YMCA. Photo by Jim Moy.

Lack of access to quality early childhood education makes that a reality for more Milwaukeeans than you might realize. Long waitlists and high costs of tuition (with the first years being as much as in-state college tuition) are what pushed me into becoming a stay-at-home mom.

As a lifelong Wisconsinite who spent her adult life working in Milwaukee’s education sector, the talented and vibrant souls I’ve spent time with have brought so much joy – a joy I’ve been very excited to share with my kids. I pictured my kids learning from awesome early childhood education teachers, much like I did as a child at the YMCA daycare.

Fast forward one year later. I was a final candidate interviewing for a program manager role at a Milwaukee nonprofit. When I received a rejection letter, I felt a wave of relief from anxiety surrounding child care. During the interview process, I was calling child care centers. None had immediate openings. All of them would be charging approximately half of my monthly take home pay for one child under age one. In reflection, I am sad that I wasn’t chosen for a role that felt like a ‘dream job’ but I still question how we ever would have made child care work if I would’ve signed an acceptance letter.

More than Twice our Mortgage

In spring of 2022, still a stay-at-home-mom, now eight months pregnant with my second child, the nonprofit was growing and asked if I was interested in the same program manager position. After days of consideration, and again looking into child care options, I reluctantly declined the opportunity to interview. Considering the cost, and knowing I was unwilling to compromise on the quality of care and education for my kids during those critical first years, I made the choice to stay home with my children.

For me, sacrificing career advancement, current/future income potential, and operating on a tight budget felt like the only option that made sense for our family. I knew even if I could find immediate, quality childcare for two children, the monthly child care costs would be about as much as the monthly take home pay. Child care costs would be twice the amount of our mortgage.

Child care is collapsing. We'll all lose if more centers close their doors.

I personally have the privilege of staying home with my children without fear for my economic stability because of my husband’s income, but many families in Milwaukee do not have that option. Parents are being forced to choose between low-rated care or no care at all. I shed tears as I sent the email declining to interview. Not just for me and my family, but also for my children’s peers, and countless families experiencing stress from an early education system that needs more public support. Families deserve better.

It’s disappointing to be out of Milwaukee's workforce because I could not find high-quality, affordable child care in a timely manner to accept a job. The impact is far greater than many people realize, and I hope my story can shed light on how these issues in our child care system create family and financial stress for so many. Let’s prioritize building a state that values the development of young lives early on, continual career growth for parents, and economic growth for all families in our vibrant community.