Wisconsin Early Childhood Action Needed (WECAN), along with the following organizations and the attached 709 petition signers (petition 12/06/2024-12/22/2024) request that Governor Evers allocate $2 billion in the 25-27 biennial state budget to increase the wages of the child care educators directly and consequently, increase the availability of high quality, accessible, and affordable early care and education and child care through the age of 12 (13+ for those with qualifying special education/health needs) to all Wisconsin families wanting and needing it.
What’s best for our kids is what is best for our state.
The time is now. This is what is needed due to under-investment in our children, families, educators, communities, and employers over the last several decades. Without this investment the crisis will turn into catastrophe and rebuilding will be exponentially more expensive.
● According to www.childcaregap.org our state loses between $4-6 billion in lost economic activity due to the lack of enough affordable childcare options for families;
● The educators who care for and educate our children from 6 weeks-12 years earn an average of $13.54 while the median Wisconsin wage is $28.34. This amount will get an approximately $10 an hour raise, or $23.54 an hour without benefits: https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/WIGOV/bulletins/3b56598
● At the Day Without Child Care on May 13, 2024, State Superintendent spoke at an event in New Glarus about the lack of child care directly impacting the ability of the K-12 public school system to recruit and retain high quality teachers and the dual impact of early childhood education and wrap around care as impactful for a child’s education and later success in life. DPI also supports significant investment in child care
● 90% of brain development happens before the age of 5, 100% of that happens by caring relationships;
● Low teacher to child ratios ensures higher quality interactions to build those brains;
● Return on investment is $7-14 per $1 spent, lowering health care, penal system, and K-12 system costs along with increased income taxes, earnings for parents, and more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IipVaPKnjRk;
● Tuition per child is 18% of dual income households and is rising exponentially forcing more parents out of the workforce just as many of the “Boomer” generation are reaching retirement creating a crisis for employers;
● 9% of those who qualify for subsidy actually utilize it;
● Women with children under the age of 6 are still well below their 70% Wisconsin employment rate prior to 2020 (national about 60%) and hovering around 60%;
● Our state currently solely relies on Federal funding for the entire child care system and does not have child care in the budget as a line item;
● The unemployment rate in Wisconsin is 2.9%. We need more people to re-enter the workforce. They need child care investments to do so;
● Washington DC Pay Equity Fund has found a 23% Return on Investment for the $5 an hour raise, but has found many child care educators are now struggling from falling off the “fiscal” cliff, this is why we are asking for about a $10 an hour raise, which would also create reductions in our state spending for social safety nets;
● https://www.npr.org/2024/11/23/nx-s1-5090905/a-program-in-d-c-raised-the-wages-of-child-care-workers-hows-it-going-now
● Vermont payroll tax 2024 law of .44 (less than ½ of a percent) decreased out of pocket costs for families earning up to 575% Federal Poverty Level, increased wages for the child care educators, so far has increased the number of children to access care so their parents/guardians can work by 1000. https://rebeccagale.substack.com/p/congratulations-youve-won-the-child
Now is the time for dramatic action. There is no time to waste for our kids and families.
— Child Care Matters is a series written by local child care providers.
