Kids Forward has just released the results of a survey of child care providers in Brown County and surrounding areas. We think this is useful information for policy makers and advocates who want to improve Wisconsin's early care and education system. Many thanks to Family & Childcare Resources of Northeast Wisconsin for conducting...
Missing Out: Residents with Low Incomes Pay More Under New Budget
State tax policies can be a powerful tool for expanding opportunity and enhancing racial and ethnic equity. But right now, Wisconsin’s tax system calls on the richest residents to pay the smallest share of their income in taxes and requires residents with low and moderate incomes to pay more than their fair share. Governor Evers...
Standing Up for Kids and Families at the Southern Border Requires Acknowledging our History and Taking Responsibility
Proof of the atrocities on our southern border are increasing daily. In response, the federal government issued a new asylum rule. Starting yesterday, people seeking asylum must first petition for asylum in the closest neighboring country. Should that request be denied, the refugee is then eligible to petition for asylum in the United...
Budget Bill Fails to Include Remedies for Wisconsin’s Stark Racial Disparities
On a wide range of different indicators, Wisconsin has some of the largest racial disparities in the nation. For example, the poverty rate for Black Wisconsin children is 36% -- four times the rate for white children, which is one of the widest gaps among all states. It is time for state policymakers to ensure that all Wisconsinites can...
The Affordable Care Act is Back in Court and Wisconsin has a lot at Stake
Since the 2012 Supreme Court ruling upholding the Affordable Care Act, most people consider the ACA, and its many consumer protections, settled law. However, 18 states led by the Republican Attorney General of Texas, have sued again attempting to have the courts invalidate the health law. The plaintiffs claim that since Congress zeroed...
The Research Is Clear: Medicaid Expansions Lower Individual Insurance Premiums
The decision about whether or not Wisconsin should accept federal funding to expand Medicaid, which would cover an additional 80,000 Wisconsinites and save hundreds of millions in state dollars per year, should not be controversial. However, Republican legislators who oppose Medicaid expansion are relying on discredited arguments about...
The Medicaid Budget Amendment: Paying a Lot More for a Lot Less
JFC Budget Slashes Initiatives Important to Rural Areas and Communities of Color Kids Forward is extremely disappointed by the Medicaid budget approved Tuesday by the Joint Finance Committee (JFC) because it costs state taxpayers far more than the Medicaid plan recommended by the governor, yet accomplishes far less. The Republican plan...
New Study Shows Heavy Cost of Unmet Maternal Mental Health Needs
Healthy mothers and healthy babies contribute to the health of Wisconsin’s communities. Yet nationally, 1 in 7 women experience depression and anxiety during pregnancy and after they give birth. Only half of these women receive treatment. A new study reveals the cost of unmet maternal mental health needs and sheds light on the...
Wisconsinites Strongly Support Expanding BadgerCare
A recent poll from Marquette University shows seven out of ten Wisconsinites support accepting federal funds to fully expand BadgerCare in order to cover more low-income adults. Wisconsin is one of only 14 states that has not yet decided to expand Medicaid. Both red and blue states have taken advantage of the federal funding from the...
Promoting Farm to ECE through Family Resource Centers
One of the critical aspects of Family Resource Centers (FRCs) are their strong roots in the settlement movement model (i.e., settlement houses). By focusing on mobilizing community assets, people at FRCs strive to work collectively for families. In the area of Early Care and Education (ECE), they offer resources to parents while they...
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