Medicaid’s 50th anniversary marks a major milestone in our progress as a nation in providing all of our children access to the health care they need to help them stay healthy. The growth in the program has also spurred more research on its benefits over time, and the most recent studies indicate that access to Medicaid for children not...
In the midst of Iowa caucuses, here are the results of an Iowa poll about the priorities they would like the next President to focus on. The top priority: Improving the health, education, and well-being of children. See more information on the survey, see: Iowa Voter Survey Sends Message to Presidential Candidates: Speak Out on Child...
Wisconsin has been named a top state for charter schools at the pre-kindergarten level, according to a new report, Pre-K and Charter Schools: Where State Policies Create Barriers to Collaboration. The report, by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, ranked Wisconsin in the top five states offering a hospitable climate for charter schools...
A Washington Post article says, “Kindergartners who share, cooperate and are helpful are more likely to have a college degree and a job 20 years later than children who lack those social skills, according to a new study.” Go here for the complete article. Research continues to emphasize the importance of social-emotional skills in the...
With the release of the 2015 KIDS COUNT® Data Book from the Annie. E. Casey Foundation we can take some pride in the fact that Wisconsin ranks in the top tier of states (13th best overall) on child well-being measures of economic well-being, education, health, and family/community. That is the same as last year’s ranking. That is great,...
Wisconsin Shares has spent $106.3 million less than budgeted for the last three state fiscal years in subsidy payments to child care programs. The Big Question: If we are repeatedly underspending, why do we still have policies that continue to drive child care payments down, undermining the quality of their programs and the children...
Wages minus childcare costs equals complex problem for Madison’s working families,” according to Madison Magazine in its July 2015 article, Childcare costs pinch working families. Meeting the costs of child care is often out of reach for parents, and high-quality programs struggle to sustain their standards. The extensive look at child...
A summary of a report from Peter Pratt, President of Public Sector Consultants in Michigan The Michigan legislature passed--and Republican Governor Snyder signed into law--the FY16 budget in June. Despite severe budget pressure, lawmakers and the governor affirmed their commitment to wise early childhood investment by: allowing more...
On July 2nd we finally saw the product of more than a month of closed door meetings about the state budget bill – during which time the budget committee didn’t have a single open meeting. After a process that excluded the public but included special interest groups, perhaps it should come as no surprise that the last motion offered and...
Zero to Three has just released a Baby Facts Report for Wisconsin, comparing Wisconsin with national data. In general, Wisconsin looks better than most states, but there is plenty of room for improvement. Here are some particularly positive findings for Wisconsin:...
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