MADISON, WIS. – Raising Wisconsin is deeply concerned with members of the state Joint Committee on Finance (JFC)’s decision not to fund the Child Care Counts program with $300 million in the 2023-25 state budget.
The JFC vote on the Department of Children and Families budget, which took place around 2:30 a.m. Friday, will have staggering consequences for working parents, young children, child care providers, businesses and communities across the state.
In response, Raising Wisconsin advocates have been making a final push to send letters to JFC and legislative leadership to urge them to invest significant state revenue into child care ahead of JFC’s vote on their final budget this week. In the past 72 hours alone, JFC members and key Republican leaders have received more than 49,000 letters – and counting – from Wisconsinites.
“JFC’s Friday decision was short-sighted and will have dire economic consequences for our state,” said Ruth Schmidt, executive director of Wisconsin Early Childhood Association (WECA), which leads the Raising Wisconsin advocacy coalition. “Children, families, child care providers, and communities deserve better. That’s why we’re encouraging all those impacted by child care to make a strong final push ahead of JFC’s final budget vote.”
