More than 1,200 researchers agree that quality early care and education produces better education, health, economic, and social outcomes for children, families, and the nation. Despite this, Wisconsin has a long ways to go to ensure that every child in this state is receiving high-quality early care and education.

Because of this, the Wisconsin Early Learning Coalition is working hard to increase the number of children in high-quality child care programs in YoungStar, Wisconsin’s child care quality rating and improvement system. This goal is achievable if Wisconsin lawmakers make the state’s youngest children a priority in the  2017-2019 biennial budget. Doing so will not only ensure that more children in the state get a great start at life, but it will ensure future economic success for Wisconsin.

We are encouraging lawmakers to:

• Invest $10 million a year to implement quality grants to fund ongoing quality advancements in child care programs, recommended by the Governor’s Early Childhood Advisory Council.
• Invest $7.5 million a year to expand T.E.A.C.H. and REWARD, proven strategies for raising the education level of early childhood teachers and stemming turnover through stipends based on education achievement.
• Invest $20 million a year to increase the child care payment rate of Wisconsin Shares so that high quality programs can afford to serve children from low-income families — the children most at risk for not being ready for school and for life.

In the coming weeks, we will be counting on people like you to contact your elected officials and ask that they invest in high quality early care and education. Be part of this movement by signing up for our early care and education emails to receive alerts about contacting your state legislators, or follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

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