In order to know where we need to go to achieve equity in early learning, we need to know where we’ve been. Using data from 2016, Kids Forward has created a baseline report as a point of departure. The findings in this report will be updated to see where we have gone since 2016. That more current data, along with increased community engagement to better understand the context that surrounds it, will provide insights into what more needs to be done.

Within the report there are some findings that are quite positive, and others that are quite challenging.

Some Good News

Four-Year Old Kindergarten (4K) is serving the majority of eligible Wisconsin children in a fairly equitable manner. Statewide, 49,062 children participated in 4K in 2016, representing about 2/3 of all eligible children. Rates of participation in 4K were also high among specific racial/ethnic groups, particularly for Asian American and African American children. Analyses for this school year did not identify patterns of disproportionality.

Statewide, 47,403 children participated in Wisconsin Shares in 2016. Rates of participation in Wisconsin Shares were higher among eligible African American children in 2016 compared to other groups, indicating that more African American families are accessing early care and education through the Wisconsin Shares program.

More Challenging News

Our analysis indicates that while African American children in low-income working families participated in Wisconsin Shares at higher rates than other children, they tend to receive lower quality rated child care from the program.

It is important to note that families’ child care options are limited by a number of factors, including location, rates that families can afford to pay, and available slots for the age group at needed care times. It is also important to know that high quality child care is not readily available everywhere. For example, data shows that many rural and urban communities have no 5 Star child care providers. The fact is that the child care system, and larger socioeconomic factors, limits the options available to many families. 

We should also be clear that analyses using a quality rating scale are only as good as the rating system’s ability to accurately represent quality early care and education settings. In other words, what the YoungStar system considers high quality might not be considered high quality by various participants.

Regarding 4K programs, it appears that participation in 4K was relatively high and fairly consistent for children of all races and ethnicities during the 2015-2016 school year. Racial and ethnic equity analyses found that issues of disproportionality of access were not present in 4K during the 2015-2016 school year. That said, while the Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standards (WMELS) do address expectations for young children birth to 1st grade, they are not used to assess the quality of 4K the way that YoungStar is used for childcare. Therefore, an equity analysis of the quality of 4K was not possible with the available data.

Policy Recommendations
To strengthen the early learning system in Wisconsin, Kids Forward recommends:

• Exploring Strategies to Align Quality Ratings with the Values of Families of Color
• Reducing Racial Inequities in Child Care Quality
• Giving Children Experiencing Trauma the Help They Need
• Supporting the Child Care Workforce
• Ensuring High Quality Child Care Pays

Conclusion

We know that ensuring equitable access to high quality child care for every child will better prepare them for educational and economic success in the future. It will not be possible to reduce racial and ethnic inequity in academic success and graduation rates without a concerted effort to address children’s readiness to learn prior to entering school settings. In order for children, families, communities, and the state of Wisconsin to thrive, every child must have access to early learning experiences that provide a foundation for positive outcomes.