After digging into detailed budget papers and talking to key players in developing budget
options for the Legislature, it looks like $5.84 million may be available for increasing child care payment rates under the Wisconsin Shares program. The final negotiations of the Joint Finance Committee as they completed their work on the budget included more funding than most child care advocates thought. The good news is that the rates are no longer frozen at 2006 levels, and there is movement toward a rate increase. That’s something to cheer about; $5.8 million is a lot of money, though there’s no guarantee that it will actually be used for this purpose.
Progress Amidst the Crisis
Last month, we shared some of the ways that youth in custody and the staff who serve them are more vulnerable to COVID-19. We also urged Wisconsin officials and administrators to follow guidelines from Youth Correctional Leaders for Justice to reduce the risk of...