ICYMI: State Survey Results Highlight Child Care Crisis in Wisconsin

MADISON, Wis. — The results of a survey of Wisconsin child care providers, conducted by the state Department of Children and Families, finds up to 33,000 Wisconsin children are not being served due to staffing shortages. Providers also reported 48,000 children were on waitlists for daycare slots.

The latest revelations about the depths of the crisis in Wisconsin come on the heels of Republican state legislators cutting proposed child care funding in the state budget and refusing repeated calls to take up proposals from Gov. Evers and Democrats to address child care workforce shortages and lack of access to affordable care.

“There is a child care access crisis in Wisconsin today. The good news is there are solutions that could help,” said A Better Wisconsin Together Deputy Director Mike Browne. “The bad news is that the Republicans in the state legislature are refusing to help Wisconsin families.”

Browne noted that in the 2023-24 session of the state legislature:

• Republicans on the Joint Committee on Finance, including Senators Joan Ballweg and Duey Stroebel and Representatives Jessie Rodriguez and Shannon Zimmerman voted to entirely remove and defund Governor Evers’ Child Care Counts program;
• Joint Committee on Finance Republicans including Senators Joan Ballweg and Duey Stroebel and Representatives Jessie Rodriguez and Shannon Zimmerman are currently blocking the release of $15 million for a child care provider revolving loan fund;
• Republicans in the Senate and Assembly voted lock step against Democratic efforts to restore child care funding in the state budget;
• Republicans refused to take action on proposals to stem the child care crisis offered by Gov. Evers and Democrats in a Fall 2023 special session of the legislature.