Republicans who control the Wisconsin Legislature voted early today to end funding for a pandemic-era child care subsidy program, the Associated Press reports. The funding was killed by the Joint Finance Committee around 2:30 a.m. after the start of its meeting was delayed more than 10 hours.
Democrats and child care providers objected to the move, arguing that it would be devastating for needy families and the state’s economy.
The Child Care Counts program provided nearly $600 million to more than 4,900 child care providers from March 2020– March 2023, according to the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau. The funding will be exhausted by February of next year.
Democratic Gov. Tony Evers proposed making the program permanent using more than $300 million in state money over the next two years, but Republicans rejected that. Evers’ spokesperson Britt Cudaback blasted the decision and the timing of the vote killing the funding.
Rep. Jessie Rodriguez said that Republicans are working on additional legislation to help people open more child care centers.
