Finding affordable child care is a challenge across Wisconsin, even more so in rural areas. There are many places where there are more children than what a child care provider can support. The struggle facing parents, employers, and communities because of the lack of child care and high costs is overwhelming.
The Wisconsin Department of Children and Families is on the frontlines supporting providers and families in need. Priya Bhatia is the Administrator for the Division of Early Care and Education at the Department and is well aware of the obstacles.
“Nearly 70% of families live in a child care desert,” said Bhatia. “We define a child care desert as an area where there are more than three times as many children as there are child care slots.”
If families can find a provider, they are then hit with another challenge due to cost. “There is data that shows that a year of child care for an infant often costs more than a year of instate tuition at a four year public college in Wisconsin,” said Bhatia.
Between both of those obstacles, families are left with tough decisions. Sometimes, parents decide to reduce their hours or leave the workforce all together to care for their children. If parents decide to work longer hours to pay for care, their children miss out on important bonding. Children also miss out on the educational benefits that come from being at a child care center.
The Department of Children and Families has two programs to support both families and child care providers. The Wisconsin Shares Child Care Subsidy Program was first created to help families. “The purpose is to make childcare more affordable for low-income parents,” said Bhatia.
Another is the Child Care Counts Program. This offers funding to providers to cover basic expenses like rent, utilities, and classroom materials. The program also provides funding to help increase wages to recruit and retain staff.
While the obstacles are significant, Bhatia sees progress on the horizon. “We’re seeing interest in child care from parents, providers, businesses, civic leaders,” said Bhatia. “They’ve just demonstrated incredible commitment to this work of supporting our early care and education field. That has been a real asset that we’ve seen in the face of a lot of uncertainty for the field.”
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