For most of the last 20 years, Wisconsin has been a national leader in the percentage of children with health insurance. Unfortunately, that leadership has slipped in recent years, and Wisconsin is no longer among the best states when it comes to ensuring that children have access to quality, cost-effective health care
Child Care Market Survey Shows Payment Rates Disturbingly Low
It is no secret that the payment rates for the Wisconsin Shares (WI Shares) child care subsidy program have been on a steep decline for many years. Where are we now, and how did we get there? A recent child care market survey shows how low the payment rates have plummeted. Historical Background Reasonable range of affordable child care:...
Where Will Wisconsin Youth Be When the Music Stops?
A recent story published by Frontline highlights that in the last seven years, five states (Illinois, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Mississippi, and New Hampshire) have raised the age at which youth can be tried as adults. South Carolina and Louisiana have also recently passed legislation, expected to be signed into law soon that will...
The Compelling Fiscal Logic for Expanding BadgerCare
Budget Project Analysis Counters the Cost Concerns Raised by Expansion Opponents Suppose you could refinance your mortgage and initially save $100 per month, but the net savings would decline over a few years to $90 per month. Would you jump at that opportunity, or would you be scared off by the fact that the larger initial savings...
Wraparound’s Recipe for Success
What makes wraparound and other systems of care approaches different than traditional service delivery systems? What makes them both a challenge to implement in traditional bureaucracies? WCCF's, Wraparounds Recipe for Success, highlights some of the lesser discussed system reforms and implementation strategies that make a...
A Recipe for Implementing Wraparound Approaches
As June begins, recall that May was Mental Health Awareness Month. WCCF released its publication, Meeting the Mental Health Needs of Wisconsin's Children, in early May, and in this posting we are disseminating a short brief providing a unique way to look at and think about the ingredients that make wraparound approaches successful in...
An Immense Disparity for Native Americans: 5,100 Days
New Federal Policy Could Help Close the Gap On average, Native Americans in Wisconsin die 14 years sooner than whites! In 2014, the average age at death for Native Americans was just 63 years, compared to 77 years for white Wisconsinites. Think about that. Fourteen years is 5,110 days, or 122,640 hours! Think about someone you know who...
Wisconsin 6th in the Nation for Enrollment of 4-Year-Olds in PreK Programs
Wisconsin was ranked 6th in the nation for 4-year-olds enrolled in prekindergarten programs in 2015, according to the annual The State of Preschool 2015, released by the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER). The report showed that 71.7% of Wisconsin’s 4-year-olds were enrolled in prekindergarten, including 4-year-old...
Closing Gaps in Native American Health
Communities of color often face greater health challenges that lead to larger health disparities between them and their white peers. This is especially true for the Native American community.
Clinton Proposes Investments in Child Care and Home Visiting
Hillary Clinton is proposing an agenda focusing on child care and home visiting. The Huffington Post published a May 10 article titled: Clinton To Lay Out Agenda For Making Child Care Better — And More Affordable Clinton is putting forth her policy agenda for young children and their families, including two key pieces: Child Care:...
Sign up for Emails
Your address helps us identify your legislators and the most relevant messages to send you.