In the last 10 years two state programs that provide services to children and families have grown rapidly: 4-year-old Kindergarten (4K) and the Wisconsin Shares child care subsidy program. 4K enrollment has nearly tripled, with 93% of school districts now serving over 48,000 children; while Wisconsin Shares enrollment has grown over 50%...
In a Wisconsin State Journal article on Sept. 2, the first day of school for the 2014-15 school year, a number of changes for the Madison Schools are highlighted. Notable among them is a change in the student discipline code that can hopefully keep more youth in the classroom and reduce the number of youth suspended or even expelled....
The Medicaid (BadgerCare) expansion issue is going to be a significant topic of debate in the coming months – during campaign season and continuing into deliberations on the next biennial budget. The importance of the issue has been elevated by a number of developments, including the news that Wisconsin has a $93 million shortfall in...
The Wisconsin Shares child care subsidy program underspent by $20 million in the first year of the 2013-2015 biennial budget, according to the Department of Children and Families (DCF) website. The first year’s budget (July 1, 2013 to June 30, 2014) allocated $255 million for direct subsidy payments for child care services, but only...
Wisconsin’s Department of Children and Families (DCF) has again drawn down federal funds to continue and expand voluntary, evidence-based home visiting services to women during pregnancy and to parents with young children up to age five. Wisconsin has been very successful in expanding the program with federal funding and state match....
It probably comes as no surprise that there are substantial disparities in wealth between Whites, Blacks and Hispanics. However, figures released last week by the Census Bureau drives home the point by documenting the extent of those disparities and showing how the gaps have been growing over the past decade. As I wrote in today’s WI...
In a July 30 blog post, WCCF noted the release of more recent surveys on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) release by Child Trends. It should come as no surprise that recently released research, from the University of Florida and supported by OJJDP, confirms that youthful offenders are likely to have experienced significantly more...
Maryland has been a leader in improving school readiness over the last 12 years, dramatically increasing the percentage of children that are “fully ready” as they enter Kindergarten. Here’s a snapshot of progress from their recent Maryland Report on School Readiness 2013-14: • 83% of entering kindergarteners are fully ready in...
One of the good news stories in public health is the very substantial decline in teen births over the last couple of decades. This decrease is important because we know that births to teens create long term challenges for both the children and the parents, including increased health complications, lower education levels and lower...
Two new analyses released this week provide further evidence of the sharp disparities between African Americans and whites in Wisconsin. The latest evidence comes from a study of trends in life expectancy rates from the journal Health Affairs and new health insurance data from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS). The study...
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