From Beth Mikrut-Gilles

Dodgeville

To the Editor:

Recently, we had the opportunity to welcome Ben Gruber, candidate for Assembly District 51, to our Dodgeville childcare center, In the Beginning Child Care & Learning Center, to talk about something that is incredibly important to me — the childcare crisis facing families, providers and early childhood educators across Wisconsin.

What I appreciated most was this wasn’t simply a quick visit or a photo opportunity. Ben took the time to tour our center, talk with our staff, interact with children, ask questions and, most importantly, listen.

We talked honestly about what childcare providers face — the challenges of recruiting and retaining quality teachers, affordability for families, and what it takes to keep quality childcare available in rural communities.

I felt heard that Ben genuinely wanted to understand what is happening inside our centers and what our families, teachers and providers need.

And I walked away believing something else: if Ben Gruber is elected to represent the 51st Assembly District, child care providers will have someone in Madison who understands the importance of the work we do and who will stand up for the children, families, educators and providers who depend on a strong child care system.

Childcare isn’t just a family issue. It’s a workforce issue, an economic issue and a rural-community issue. If parents can’t find childcare, they can’t go to work. And if providers can’t afford to keep their doors open and pay good teachers, our communities feel the impact.

The answer is not to replace the childcare providers who have been serving families in our communities for years. We need leaders who are willing to listen to providers, understand the challenges we face and work with us to find solutions that allow quality childcare programs to remain strong and sustainable. We must keep the needs of the child at the center of the conversation, recognizing the important role quality early childhood programs play in providing young children with nurturing relationships, developmentally appropriate environments and the foundation they need before entering school. This conversation should be about what is best for our children, not simply about where the dollars go.

Thank you, Ben, for showing up, spending time with us and listening. I’m grateful when someone seeking public office is willing to come directly into a childcare center and hear from the people doing this work every day.

Our children, families, early childhood educators and providers deserve their voices heard.