Impact & Influence
WECA centers innovation in all its work to support the early childhood workforce and early care and education in Wisconsin. Check out this page for more information on WECA’s innovation and influence through several impact updates, our blog, Annual Reports, news coverage, and more.
WECA In The Spotlight
Survey: Only half of Wisconsin’s child care slots are affordable for Families (Wisconsin Public Radio)
Families are ‘drowning’ as early child care programs face widespread staffing shortages (Wisconsin Public Radio)
Jackson County sees success with efforts to combat child care crisis (Wisconsin Rapids Tribune)
Advocacy group shines spotlight on child care need, potential solutions (Wisconsin Examiner)
Early Childhood Education News
The death of a day care: When a child care center closes, an entire community is affected (The 19th News)
Child care industry struggles with shortage of workers (ABC News)
Why You Can’t Find Child Care: 100,000 Workers Are Missing (The New York Times)
Rural communities need federal child care investments (Center for American Progress)
WHAT IS WECA?
WECA is a state nonprofit with significant local reach that supports early care and education in Wisconsin. Watch this video to get perspective from providers, partners, advocates, and WECA staff.
Read the Annual Report!
For more information about WECA’s research and data findings – visit this page.
Good Food at Home Partnership
WECA’s food systems staff collaborated with Partnership for a Healthier America to help bring fresh fruits and vegetables to 200 Milwaukee families this past winter. The initiative provided $60 a month in Instacart credits for fresh produce.
“Providing access to these fresh foods can help improve outcomes for children for a lifetime,” shared WECA food systems co-coordinator Catherine Hansen.
Learn more about the project in this video overview (offered in English) and read our recent blog for more on WECA’s commitment to assisting early childhood programs foster positive food environments to help children and families thrive.
Wisconsin Early Childhood Association Blog
A hub of first-hand perspectives, calls to action, program and initiative information and other timely updates.
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...
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...
