Two years ago the Wisconsin Legislature approved YoungStar with strong bipartisan support. This was a prudent investment to improve early learning for children from low-income working families receiving Wisconsin Shares subsidy payments.
The Governor’s proposed budget reduces Wisconsin Shares child care subsidy funding by $35 million over the 2013-15 biennium ($17 million less in year one, and $18 million in year two), compared to the $289 base budget level of the 2012-13 state fiscal year.
The $35 million in TANF funds should be kept in the child care budget to help our child care programs improve early learning.