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Providers, Families Lobby for $500 Million Child Care Investment in Capitol

Advocates urge lawmakers to act on Governor Evers’ proposed funding to stabilize child care in Wisconsin

On February 4, 2025, child care providers, families, and lawmakers gathered in the Wisconsin Capitol to advocate for a crucial $500 million investment in child care, as part of Governor Tony Evers’ upcoming budget proposal. Their goal? To ensure a sustainable solution for the state’s child care crisis.

State Rep. Alex Joers (D-Middleton) voiced strong support, saying, “This needs to happen now and it needs to be sustained.” The call for action couldn’t have been clearer.

Providers like Heather Murray, who runs a child care center in Waunakee, face immense challenges. With the rising costs of care and difficulty hiring staff, they are struggling to maintain quality services for Wisconsin families. Their plea? Immediate action to keep child care affordable and accessible.

Rising Costs and Staff Shortages Threaten Child Care Centers

Child care centers across Wisconsin are under pressure. Heather Murray, who runs a center with a licensed capacity of 60 children, has been forced to limit enrollment to 30 due to a critical shortage of qualified staff. Murray, who has been working tirelessly to provide quality care, expressed frustration about the systemic issues that continue to plague the industry.

child care provider advocating budget proposal

“When I decided to start a center in my community, my goal was to make sure families could go to work and leave their children in a setting where they knew their child would be nurtured, educated, and cared for during the most vulnerable time in their lives,” Murray explained. But the reality she faces daily is stark: “To provide these quality experiences for children, I need staff.”

The child care industry, already grappling with staffing shortages before the pandemic, faced even more significant setbacks when the COVID-19 crisis hit. Federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) provided some temporary relief, allowing providers to keep their doors open and provide staff with much-needed financial support.

However, as federal funding waned, the impact was quickly felt across the state. The Child Care Counts program, initially offering $20 million a month, was slashed in mid-2023, leaving many providers without the resources they relied on to stabilize their operations.

Impact of Reduced Subsidies on Providers and Families

For providers like Murray, the cutback in subsidies has had a direct impact on their ability to retain staff. She was able to increase wages during the pandemic thanks to federal aid but hasn’t been able to provide health benefits for her team.

When the state reduced its funding, Murray was forced to increase tuition by 9%. As a result, two families were no longer able to afford care for their children. Murray fears that without additional state investment, she will have no choice but to raise tuition once again—potentially by as much as $65 per week per child.

“It’s a hard decision to make, but without support, I’ll have to raise fees even higher,” Murray said. “If providers keep raising tuition, the average working family will be priced out of child care in the state.”

This financial strain is not isolated. Many providers across Wisconsin are grappling with the same dilemma: to keep their doors open and pay staff the wages they need to survive, they must raise prices. The results could be disastrous for working families already struggling with inflation and rising living costs.

Why Gov. Evers’ Proposal Is Critical for Wisconsin’s Families

Gov. Tony Evers’ budget proposal, expected later this month, seeks to allocate $500 million in state funds for child care providers. This investment aims to alleviate some of the financial burdens on both providers and families while supporting the long-term sustainability of child care in Wisconsin.

Many lawmakers and child care advocates are urging their colleagues to prioritize this funding, noting that the child care sector is essential to the state’s economy. Without adequate support, providers could close their doors, further exacerbating the crisis.

While Republicans in the state legislature have historically been hesitant to fund child care at this level, advocates remain hopeful that bipartisan support for early childhood education will prevail. “We’re at a tipping point,” said Rep. Joers, urging legislators to understand the long-term benefits of such an investment.

“The future of Wisconsin’s workforce depends on child care,” Joers continued. “If we don’t support our providers now, we risk losing them for good.”

The push for increased child care funding is not only about economic stability for providers but also about the future of Wisconsin’s children. Research consistently shows that quality early education has a direct impact on lifelong learning and success.

A recent survey found that 60% of Wisconsin providers said they would be forced to close or significantly raise tuition rates if additional funding wasn’t secured. Many providers fear that they will have no choice but to reduce the quality of care as they face mounting financial pressures.

Legislative Action Needed for Long-Term Stability

It’s clear that Wisconsin’s child care sector cannot survive without significant financial intervention. Both providers and families agree: the state must step up and make the necessary investments to ensure that working families can access affordable, high-quality care.

For those on the frontlines, the message is clear: “This isn’t just about dollars and cents. It’s about the future of Wisconsin’s children,” Murray said. And as lawmakers prepare to debate the governor’s budget proposal, advocates are hoping their message will resonate.

As the days tick down to the unveiling of Evers’ budget, all eyes are on the state Capitol to see if lawmakers will heed the call and secure the future of child care in Wisconsin.

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