For parents of children who have dealt with or are dealing with childcare, what are your experiences?

How much do you have to think about childcare every week? How much does it impact your job? How easy or tough is it to find adequate childcare?

These questions, and more are part of a survey being conducted by the Republican Journal, UW-Extension, and Lafayette County Economic Development in our ongoing focus on childcare in the county.

The 13-question survey — located at https://uwmadison.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_ezEiYgran3nftnU  — is now live, and asks parents some demographics of your family situation, and how you are dealing with childcare.

We want to find out if you are keeping your children home, or if you are using any number of different childcare entities, like an in-home daycare, or a facility.

Not only are we wondering how you take care of your children, but what it took to get there — could you find a provider, and how far did you have to drive to find one. How much do changes, like if your provider is ill, does that impact you and your family.

Since you are dealing with this, we also want to get your perspective on what you think are the options for families like you finding childcare.

Many of the questions are multiple choice, where you select the answers that fit you and your family. There are places where you can add your own unique thoughts.

This survey is completely anonymous.

Having conducted one of these previously in neighboring Grant County, I can tell you that the responses were very insightful in giving an idea of the landscape families are dealing with as they raise the next generation in southwest Wisconsin.

Please share this survey with others in your community, as we want to get the most extensive picture we can.

Next month, we will show the results of this survey.