A Day Without Child Care: A Spotlight on Transformational Change
Child care providers, parents and families across the country are marking, “A Day Without Child Care” on Monday, May 9, 2022. This day of action, sponsored by the national organization Community Change Action, aims to highlight the need for dignified, worthy wages for early childhood educators, equity in child care and affordable child care for all families.
As an organization, Wisconsin Early Childhood Association acknowledges the power and importance of this day of awareness.
National Provider Appreciation Day is May 6th: One Provider’s Appreciation
Provider Appreciation is usually a time for the community and families to pause and show appreciation for the child care providers who, through our work, keep others working. This year, I wanted to pause and reflect on my own appreciation of family child care and what...
‘Silence is not an option’: The Continued Importance of Advocacy
Advocacy has always been a part of who I am, even when I was too young to even know what the word “advocacy” meant. Earlier this year, I got to take my passion for early childhood advocacy to a big stage – the offices of Wisconsin’s elected officials – during the...
Let’s Cook! Wee Chefs-Big Results: Sunny Strawberry Kiwi Smoothies
Our recipe for March was Choose your Own Smoothie (p. 67).
My cute and savvy kitchen team whipped up Sunny Strawberry Kiwi Smoothies on a cold and rainy March morning.
Impact and Gratitude: Reflections on the Food Program During CACFP Week
Across the nation, CACFP has helped feed millions and millions of children and adults since its inception in 1968. In Wisconsin, its impact continues to be wide-ranging: In 2021, WECA’s Food Program has helped family child care providers serve more than 2 million meals to 5,000 young children in 550 child care programs across the state. The WECA Food Program proudly serves all 72 counties and 11 Tribal nations in Wisconsin.
State’s investments in child care are essential, timely
High-quality, affordable and accessible child care is critical. Wisconsin parents know it, business and community leaders know it and child care professionals know it. The state legislature’s Joint Finance Committee recent approval of a $194 million investment in our child care infrastructure means Wisconsin policymakers also continue to recognize child care’s critical importance.
Good Food, Good Partnerships: Multi-sector collaboration addresses food insecurity
Good Food for All. That was the goal – and it was achieved.
This recent 12-week pilot program assisted families in the Madison and Milwaukee areas with receiving a weekly stock of fresh produce. The initiative was truly a special tribute to the power of innovative collaboration between the early care and education sector and food systems.
The State of Wisconsin’s Early Care and Education Workforce
WECA announces the release of its recommendations brief, “The State of Wisconsin’s Early Care and Education Workforce,” in response to key findings of the Series of Studies of the Wisconsin Early Education Workforce, published today by the Department of Children and Families. To read the full brief, click here.
Build Back Better: An exciting opportunity on the horizon
We are on the precipice of a timely opportunity in Wisconsin and the United States – an opportunity to completely transform the early care and education landscape through the Build Back Better bill making its way through the U.S. House and Senate. We’re incredibly...
State Licensing and Technology Hurdles and Success within WEESSN
The Wisconsin Early Education Shared Services Network (WEESSN) is a fast-growing alliance of over 135 early care and education programs (center-based and family child care homes) across Southern Wisconsin. This network launched with two rural ECE programs in January...