MADISON, Wis. — Just two weeks after Republican lawmakers cut over $400 million in essential child care funding from Governor Evers’ state budget, and one week after child care providers rallied at our state Capitol demanding action, A Better Wisconsin Together is urging GOP legislators to finally do the right thing and pass child care legislation introduced today by their Democratic colleagues.
The legislation introduced by state legislative Democrats at a press conference this morning would help prevent thousands of families from losing their child care, and ensure local providers can stay in business, as recent data shows 25% of Wisconsin’s local child care centers are at risk of closing, and even more forced to raise costs, if GOP lawmakers keep refusing to take action.
“Most of us can agree that no family should have to bust their budget to afford child care, and that those in the child care workforce deserve job security and fair wages,” said Lucy Ripp, communications director at A Better Wisconsin Together. “But as long as Republicans continue blocking solutions to the child care crisis, thousands of people will be forced to drop out of Wisconsin’s workforce.”
Experts agree that when working parents can access affordable child care and local facilities can stay in business, the whole economy thrives – jobs are created, wages go up, and families have more financial stability to invest back into their local communities.
“Especially as the Trump Administration crashes our economy and his disastrous policies are set to hike costs by nearly $4,000 per family, Wisconsin Republicans need to end the petty partisan antics and do the job they were elected to do: stand up for local families,” Ripp said.
