In the year since we published “The Impact of COVID-19 on Youth Justice in Wisconsin: What Does It Tell Us About the Future?,” a variety of articles and reports have been released affirming the findings and recommendations presented in that 2021 report. The publications frame the pandemic as a way to examine factors related to racial disparities,3 strategies to reduce youth incarceration, 4 opportunities to transform youth justice, 5 and recommendations for system partners to convert lessons learned into formal policy and practice.6 They also highlight the negative impact of COVID-19 lockdowns on youth and families who are involved in the justice system. These writings present a sense of readiness that needs to be operationalized in order to create better outcomes for youth in the future.
Inaccessible and Unaffordable Child Care Pushes Wisconsin Families to the Breaking Point
Wisconsin’s lack of accessible child care short-changes children and makes getting to work for parents difficult, while those who can find care struggle to pay for it. This costs the economy billions of dollars a year and holds women back professionally, especially women of color.
