Events

2025 Child Care Advocacy Day

Join Wisconsin Early Childhood Association and Wisconsin Head Start Association for Child Care Advocacy Day! We will host a morning of speakers and training to prepare for legislative visits at The Madison Concourse Hotel and Governors Club. In the afternoon, attendees will go over to the Wisconsin State Capitol to meet with their state representatives and senators to discuss the importance of high-quality early care and education. This event is a great opportunity to connect with fellow advocates, learn about important issues in child care, and make your voice heard. Together, we can work towards creating a better future for children everywhere. Don’t miss out on this chance to be a part of something meaningful!

Monthly Parent-Provider Advocacy Activities

Through monthly parent-provider activities, we’re building a unified voice to show Wisconsin’s leaders the vital role child care plays in everyday lives. Each activity is a hands-on way for families, early educators, and advocates to share their stories, values, and hopes, sending a clear message that the time to support child care with a significant state investment is NOW.

Early educators, download this resource that includes monthly themes to engage parents and families in advocacy storytelling – each has a monthly social media hashtag, so take photos of your submitted pieces, post on social media, and tag WECA and Raising Wisconsin.

Virtual Engagement Forums

These virtual English-language sessions are tailored for early educators working directly with young children to provide a welcoming space for open discussion and conversation about concerns, challenges, questions, and more surrounding advocacy. The events also allow for open dialogue so providers can be resources for each other, as well as welcoming guest speakers to expand the conversation around advocating for early childhood. 

Parent Champion Forums

Join us for our upcoming virtual Parent Champion Forums where families will discover a supportive network where their dedication as parents is recognized and voices are amplified. We’re here to make sure attendees feel empowered through effective advocacy. Offered in English.

Advocacy Training Series

These live virtual sessions offer more than a network– they are a space for learning that also is a place where advocates’ dedication is recognized and voices are amplified.  Learn more about the legislative process, strategies for partnering with other community members to advance awareness, and concrete steps to take to engage elected officials in meaningful ways. We will work together to learn about advancing significant public investment into child care so children, families, and early childhood professionals will experience a brighter future. Offered in English.

Week of the Young Child

April 5-11, 2025

An annual event, sponsored by National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), celebrating early learning, young children, their teachers, and families. WECA celebrates all week with a host of engaging and inspiring activities.

Worthy Wage Day and Provider Appreciation Day

We want to help people across Wisconsin understand the value and importance of early childhood educators and early care and education as Worthy Wage Day and Provider Appreciation Day draw closer.

A Day Without Child Care | May 12

WECA and Raising Wisconsin have developed resources to help providers and the families they serve tell stories of child care challenges to employers, state Legislators, and in local communities.

Community Child Care Forums

We will bring together providers, parents, elected officials, and other ECE advocates at early childhood programs to share the importance of high-quality child care and how child care challenges continue in local communities across Wisconsin. The goal of the sessions is to raise awareness and spark further conversations, including stories that legislators take back to the state Capitol about the importance of significant investment into child care.