Four-year-old kindergarten (4K) continues to grow in Wisconsin, as 11 more school districts have added 4K for the 2013-14 school year. The number of children served has more than tripled over the last decade, growing to 48,490 students served, compared to 16,051 in the 2002-03 school year, according to a DPI news release on 4K growth.
Major Wisconsin Investments: 4K and Child Care
Wisconsin’s most significant investments in early care and education have been in 4K and the Wisconsin Shares child care subsidy program for children from low-income working families. Both programs are now serving about 49,000 children. The emphasis on early learning and development is now strong in both programs, with 4K programs taking a more intensive role in tracking and nurturing early literacy development, and with Wisconsin Shares adding strong quality components through the YoungStar program. Participation in Wisconsin’s YoungStar quality rating and improvement system is mandatory for child care programs serving children with Wisconsin Shares subsidies, requiring that programs are rated on quality standards in health and safety, curriculum/learning environment, and personnel for the children.
Wisconsin is rare among states, with its 4K program that is available to all four-year-olds without cost and its child care subsidy program with no waiting lists, and that is linked to a substantial quality improvement program. Hopefully these programs together will continue to improve preparation for school and future success for Wisconsin’s children.
While both programs, 4K and child care, have seen significant growth, their trajectories have been quite different in Wisconsin. 4K has a very long history going back to the state Constitution in 1848, with steady growth in the last 11 years. Child care subsidies were fairly minimal until welfare reform in 1996, when Wisconsin Shares use grew exponentially, but has recently seen a marked decline in children served, with a drop of over 10,000 children over the last four years. While 4K is free and universal if a school district offers it, child care subsidies are targeted to children from low-income working families who must meet eligibility rules and are charged co-pays.
My New Year’s wish is that both these programs are strengthened so our young children have a strong start. Early investments pay off.
