Madison College has opened its new $10 million Early Learning Campus at Goodman South, expanding child care opportunities for its students and providing new educational opportunities in childhood educator training.
The 20,324-square-foot center provides licensed care to 85-100 children from six weeks to 5 years old.
The facility offers drop-in, evening and weekend care, which will be especially important to students, as 42% of the college’s population are parents.
“Affordable child care can change the trajectory of a family’s life,” Madison College President Jennifer Berne said in a statement. “When student parents know their children are safe and supported, they are better able to complete their education and pursue their goals.
“This investment strengthens families, supports our workforce and reflects Madison College’s commitment to removing barriers to education. We are grateful for the bold leadership that established Goodman South Campus in 2019 and are proud to build on that vision today.”
The state of Wisconsin helped support the project with over $4 million in grants, including nearly $3 million through its Workforce Innovation Grant Program.
“We created the Workforce Innovation Grant back in 2021 with one purpose in mind: to support projects that address key regional workforce needs, and this center and its mission to support kids, student-parents and caregivers and our early childhood education professionals, is precisely what we were looking to support with these funds,” Gov. Tony Evers said in a statement.
The city of Madison supported the initiative through the $1 sale of Fire Station 6, located adjacent to the Goodman South Campus, where the Early Learning Campus is located.
Affordable child care has been a persistent issue in Wisconsin for parents, child care providers and local employers.
