Policy Priorities
WECA is a leading voice to improve and transform Wisconsin’s early care and education (ECE) system and support the state’s early childhood educators. Early childhood education is the foundation for the health of children, families, businesses, communities and a thriving economy in Wisconsin. Decades of limited public investment have created a failing child care market despite the critical importance of child care.
WECA’s policy priorities are:
Child Care Stabilization
- Investing dedicated state funds to ensure a stabilized child care industry that promotes Wisconsin’s economic growth
- Sustaining the Wisconsin Early Education Shared Services Network (WEESSN) to stabilize and improve the state’s child care sector
- Increasing incentives for child care quality
- Providing assistance to encourage more family child care providers to enter the regulated care system
Child Care Professionals
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Maintaining the expansion of programs that foster the recruitment and retention of the childcare workforce.
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T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® Wisconsin (higher education scholarships) and REWARD Wisconsin Stipend Program (salary stipends).
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Professional development supports to improve the quality of child care.
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Families
- Creating a refundable child care tax credit package
- Expanding Wisconsin Shares access
- Increasing Wisconsin Shares child care reimbursement rates
- Structuring parent co-pays around family’s ability to pay
- Expanding program eligibility to serve more families
Businesses and Communities
- Providing tax credits for businesses that offer employer-sponsored child care
- Sustaining state-matching for employer child care cost-sharing
For Raising Wisconsin’s full policy agenda, click here.