Gov. Tony Evers said on Tuesday the state’s first entirely state-funded child care program, “Get Kids Ready,” has nearly 1,400 licensed and certified child care providers interested in participating in its inaugural year, representing a cohort with the potential to provide school readiness programming to approximately 24,000 kids during the 2026-2027 school year.
The 2025-27 biennial budget provided a $360 million investment for Wisconsin’s child care industry, helping to bolster child care providers and lower the cost of child care for working families.
The state will pay child care providers directly for the time kids spend in Get Kids Ready programming, making that part of the day free for families.
Families with children who will be four years old on or before Sept. 1, 2026, and are interested in having their child participate in Get Kids Ready, are encouraged to visit DCF’s Get Kids Ready Participating Programs webpage to find programs in their area.
