Gov. Tony Evers on Thursday delivered his weekly radio address highlighting the critical need for statewide investments in Wisconsin’s child care industry. This comes as the governor’s Child Care Counts Program will end on June 30 without additional state investment.
The governor’s 2025-27 Executive Budget would have included more than $500 million to make child care more affordable and supported child care providers statewide with over $480 million to continue the Child Care Counts Program. However, Republican lawmakers on the state’s budget committee voted against Evers’ plan.
In his radio address Thursday, Evers said:
“More Wisconsinites are working than ever before, but paychecks today aren’t going nearly as far as they used to.
“And today, it costs more to put two young kids in child care in Wisconsin than it does to pay the average rent or mortgage.
“Child care is too darn expensive, and even if folks can find and afford care, families may be waitlisted for months.
“Our workforce and economy can’t afford more parents leaving their jobs because they can’t find or afford quality child care. …
“Without additional state investments in our child care industry, a quarter of providers across the state reported they are likely to close their doors, and three-quarters of providers expect to have to raise weekly tuition rates for care.
“This will only increase costs for working families that are already experiencing steep tuition and strained household budgets.”
