Brooke Skidmore didn’t have a childcare background when she opened The Growing Tree childcare center in New Glarus eight years ago. Skidmore, with a degree in art education, was struggling to find childcare options for her young daughters, so she and her brother Brandon Legler, who has a degree in Family Studies and Human Development, began planning to fill the need they saw in the community. They built their facility and opened in the summer of 2013.

Not having a childcare background worked in their favor. “We were able to think outside the box and not feel the need to do things just because that is how they have been done for years,” Skidmore explained. 

Their vision was to create a “nurturing, thoughtful environment” for children. “Our goals are to give children the best opportunities for happiness, health and the success in their futures,” she said. “We are able to do this by creating strong relationships with our parents so that we are all working consistently for the betterment of the child.”

The Growing Tree focuses on guiding children through play to learn how to build quality relationships with their peers and teachers, along with understanding their emotions and appropriate responses to those feelings. Self-regulation is a key component.

Skidmore points to the lack of resources for children with special needs as a particular challenge in childcare. The earlier a child receives intervention and support, the greater chance of success they have, she said. The state uses assessments that a child must meet before receiving services, which often means declining services until the child gets worse. That can make it even more difficult for a child to overcome the obstacles they are facing. Skidmore said.

Early childhood professionals can help children succeed, however. Ninety percent of brain development occurs before the age of 5. “The quality of the relationships and experiences a child is exposed to greatly determines the rest of that child’s life. The most important teacher a child will have is their early childcare teacher,” she said. 

That’s one reason Skidmore advocates for higher wages for childcare professionals. She noted the average early childhood teacher in Wisconsin makes $10.66 an hour, even though 52% have an associate’s degree or higher. “In our state, you will make more caring for dogs than you do children,” she said.

Low wages and a lack of benefits has caused a significant decline in the number of childcare professionals over the past decade, she said. “We are not only hurting our youngest children by not supporting those that care for them, but we are hurting our economy,” Skidmore said. “Our economy is dependent on access to quality childcare; without it, parents can’t work.” The pandemic has exacerbated the problem, as businesses everywhere struggle to find workers, often because of a lack of childcare. 

Skidmore encourages community members to support childcare by contacting local and state representatives. “Supporting early childcare is not a partisan issue — almost 80% of constituents support policies to help the childcare profession,” Skidmore said. “For change to occur, we need to educate ourselves on how policymakers are voting and if they are listening to those they represent.”

— Child Care Matters is a series written by local child care providers.