(WTAQ-WLUK) — Providing child care in Wisconsin is something lawmakers on both sides of aisle can agree on.
“It is important that we invest in our children and that comes with tuition, child care tuition,” Democratic State Representative Lee Snodgrass said.
“We need to find solutions that make a lasting difference,” Republican State Representative Joy Goeben said.
A new report by Forward Analytics breaks down the steep cost of childcare in Wisconsin.
In 2021, a Wisconsin family with a newborn would typically have spent $13,572 dollars for center-based childcare. That’s more than the yearly average spent on renting, which is just under $11,000. And not far behind the typical yearly cost of a mortgage.
“You’d fall back in rent, fall back on other bills,” Parent Desiree Budrick said. “Not be able to do the things you want to. I see actually some kids today that are 20-21 with children and they all say daycare is so, so expensive that they’d rather not even work. They’d might as well just stay home because they can’t afford it.”
But determining how fund services has been a challenge for lawmakers. On Wednesday, Governor Tony Evers called for a special assembly session to pass a $1 billion package.
The session was gaveled in and out in just seconds.
“Unfortunately Republicans just did not take the time to engage with us on that once again,” Snodgrass said.
Snodgrass said it’s disappointing to see no discussion. Evers’ proposal would keep a pandemic-era program, Child Care Counts, running.
“They were able to recruit and retain workers by raising rates and providing benefits,” Snodgrass said. “They were able to be more flexible with families with their scheduling. They were able to invest in improvements in facilities to expand their capacity.”
“That massive transfer of public money continues to occur without oversight and lacks the necessary transparency regarding how those funds are spent,” Goeben said.
Last week’s assembly session indicates the party has alternative plans for child care.
“Our childcare system is in crisis and throwing large amounts of money at an unaccountable program hasn’t worked,” Goeben said.
Republican legislators like Goeben said that’s why they introduced their own package of bills. Those bills would lower the minimum age of child care workers, increase the number of children workers could supervise, and create a loan program for child care providers.
“I think most of it is frankly ridiculous,” Evers said.
Evers said only small pieces of the bills are salvageable. Those on the other side see it differently. Assembly majority leader Tyler August issued a statement that reads in part…
The governor is once again playing politics… People of Wisconsin want common sense solutions, not one billion dollars more in government spending and unneeded new programs.
The special session remains open, giving lawmakers a chance to revisit either proposal.
The bills approved by the Republican-controlled assembly are expected to go in front of the state senate later this fall.
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