WASHINGTON — Corrine Hendrickson, Corrine’s Little Explorers Family Child Care owner and director, from New Glarus, joined eleven other Main Street Alliance (MSA) members from throughout the state in Washington D.C. on May 17 and 18. Other small business included group center child care, consulting, cosmetics and restaurants. 

Members met in person with Senator Tammy Baldwin, and their Congressional reps, Pocan (WI-2), Gallagher (WI-8), Tiffany (WI-7), Steil (WI-1) and a staff member from Senator Ron Johnson’s office.  They voiced support for measures to rein in monopolies, paid family medical leave, increased investment in child care, and making the expansion of the affordable care act permanent to level the playing field and increase opportunities for our communities.  

The trip started off with a Tuesday night kickoff at Chadwick’s in Alexandria, Virginia where Main Street Alliance Board President, J. Kelly Conklin, talked about how important it is to participate in our Democracy, and advocate for policies and accountability that are good for America — because what is good for American is good for small business, because what is good for small businesses is good for local communities.  

The next day, Hendrickson and others met with Senator Baldwin. Restaurant owners Dave Heidi and Melissa Bucholz thanked her for her support for the Restaurant Revitalization Fund that was slated for a Thursday vote. Another member, Ashley Prange, spoke about how she owes over $10,0000 after donating a kidney and had no paid time to recover after as reasons for a national paid leave program and universal health care. 

Hendrickson spoke about the need to invest in child care as a foundation for our economy, and also about the Support Kids Not Red Tape Act. This extends the Federal waivers for free meals for all K-12 students for the summer and next school year. It also extends the one Tier system for reimbursement of meals and snacks for qualifying child care programs. 

Without permanent legislation, the waivers that enable and fund the programs will expire July 1. Hendrickson spoke about how as a parent, it is one less expense, as a school board official, our district has seen a significant increase in the number of students utilizing the school meal programs. Furthermore, a child care provider, if the waiver expires, she will lose approximately $700 a month due to the lower tier reimbursement and will be forced to increase her weekly rates significantly to cover that loss. She also asked that all regulated child care programs be eligible for the food program. Currently, group centers need to be non-profit, be in a qualifying school district, or have 25% or more enrolled children income qualify.

Hendrickson and others also met with Representative Pocan. Hendrickson and Macy Buehler, Yahara River Learning Center, thanked him for his support of child care and the urgent need for federal funding to increase accessibility, affordability, and quality of child care programs across the country. Hendrickson spoke about how the lack of investment for decades has significantly decreased the number of available programs, even though there are more children needing care. 

In Green County there were almost 90 programs during the 1990s and now there are 32, that our county economic loss is $21 million a year. They spoke about how the American Rescue Plan funding has been utilized in their programs and allowed them to continue operating, but it is not a permanent solution and families and programs are still struggling. Other MSA members emphasized that the cost and availability of child care is their biggest barrier to recruiting and retaining employees.