% ILLUSTRATED IS THAT SCHOOLS NEED
% THAT SPENDABLE REVENUE.
% >> AS THE STATE BUDGET IS BEING
% HAMMERED OUT, ANOTHER AREA OF
% NEED HAS TO DO WITH CHILDCARE,
% BECAUSE ACROSS WISCONSIN,
% PARENTS ARE STRUGGLING TO AFFORD
% CHILDCARE WITH THE AVERAGE COST
% OF INFANT CARE TOPPING $12,000 A
% YEAR.%AT THE SAME TIME, CHIL
DCARE
% PROVIDERS ARE STRUGGLING TO KEEP
% THEIR DOORS OPEN DUE TO A
% SHORTAGE OF STAFF, BECAUSE
% RETAINING EARLY LEARNING
% TEACHERS WITH MORE PAY ONLY
% MAKES THE CARE MORE EXPENSIVE
% FOR ALREADY STRAPPED PARENTS.
% WHAT A MESS, AND ONE THAT
% IMPACTS OUR ECONOMY ALREADY
% SHORT ON WORKERS.
% THE BUSINESS MODEL OF CHILDCARE
% IS BROKEN, ACCORDING TO OUR NEXT
% GUEST, REN ÉE ERNSTING, DIRECTOR
S
% OF THE CHILDCARE PARTNERSHIP
% PROGRAM WHICH REPRESENTS
% COUNTIES IN WESTERN WISCONSIN.
% RENEE, THANKS VERY MUCH FOR
% BEING HERE.
% >> THANK YOU.
% >> HOW CRITICAL IS THE SHORTAGE
% OF CHILDCARE TEACHERS IN WESTERN
% WISCONSIN?
% >> IT IS INCREDIBLY -- I'VE
% NEVER SEEN IT QUITE AS BAD AS IT
% IS.%I'VE WORKED IN CHILDCARE
IN THIS
% AGENCY FOR 20 YEARS, AND WE
% REGULARLY REPORT, WE DO SURVEYS
% AND REPORT THAT DATA ON WHAT
% WE'RE SEEING IN THE AREA AND
% THAT'S DECEMBER, WE DID A
% CAPACITY SURVEY AND WE HAD
% PEOPLE THAT WERE HIRING IN THE
% PAST 12 MONTHS HAD HIRED 600
% TIMES, YET THEY STILL HAD 300
% TEACHING POSITIONS OPEN, AND
% IT'S JUST SO INCREDIBLY
% DIFFICULT TO FILL THESE
% POSITIONS, THE LOW WAGES, THE NO
% BENEFITS, THOSE KIND OF
% PROBLEMS.%WE JUST CAN'T KEEP
A TEACHER IN
% SOME OF THESE CLASSROOMS AND
% THAT LEADS US TO THE CHILDCARE
% DESERTS THAT WE'RE SEEING
% BECAUSE WE HAVE ENOUGH
% BUILDINGS, PERHAPS, IN WESTERN
% WISCONSIN FOR CHILDCARE.
% WE DON'T HAVE THE TEACHERS IN
% THOSE CLASSROOMS, AND THAT'S THE
% SHORTAGE THAT WE'RE SEEING.
% >> SO TO THAT, THE LACK OF
% TEACHER LEAVES MILE-LONG KIND OF
% WAIT LISTS, I UNDERSTAND, FOR
% SOME PARENTS SEEKING CHILDCARE.
% IS THAT THE CASE THERE?
% >> WE HAVE WAIT LISTS THAT START
% WHEN YOU ARE JUST THINKING ABOUT
% HAVING A CHILD.
% WE'RE RECOMMENDING PEOPLE START
% TO CALL AND GET ON WAIT LISTS
% BEFORE THEY'RE EVEN PREGNANT,
% AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S
% REALLY BEEN HAPPENING PROBABLY
% FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS,
% ALMOST, IN OUR AREA.
% RIGHT NOW, WE SURVEYED BACK IN
% DECEMBER, AND WE HAD 4,000
% CHILDREN IN OUR 10 COUNTIES ON
% WAIT LISTS.
% >> WOW.
% >> IT'S JUST REALLY A TOUGH
% SITUATION.%>> YOU SPOKE -- GO
AHEAD.
% >> GO AHEAD.
% >> YOU SPOKE TO THE WAGES FOR
% CHILDCARE TEACHERS ACROSS THE
% STATE THE AVERAGE IS LIKE 11 TO
% $13 AN HOUR, BUT MEANWHILE,
% PROVIDERS DON'T DARE PAY MORE
% BECAUSE THEY WOULD HAVE TO PASS
% THAT ALONG TO THE PARENTS.
% IS THAT RIGHT?
% >> THAT'S THE EXACT ISSUE WITH
% THE BROKEN BUSINESS MODEL.
% IT'S ALREADY UNAFFORDABLE FOR
% FAMILIES AND IT'S JUST TOO
% DIFFICULT TO RAISE RATES BECAUSE
% YOU KNOW YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BE
% ABLE TO KEEP THOSE -- THOSE
% FAMILIES ARE NOT GOING TO BE
% AB TO SUSTAIN THAT KIND OF
% BILL.
% YEAH.%WE HAVE A PROGRAM RIGH
T NOW THAT
% WE'RE HELPING PEOPLE THAT HAVE
% FALLEN BEHIND.
% WE COULD HAVE GIVEN OUT OVER
% $97,000 IN A VERY SHORT PERIOD
% OF TIME, YET SO MANY PEOPLE
% APPLYING FOR THAT KIND OF
% ASSISTANCE, WE HAD.
% >> IN MAY, FEDERAL MONEY THAT
% WAS CREDITED WITH KEEPING SOME
% 3,000 CHILDCARE BUSINESSES OPEN
% IS BEING REDUCED.
% WHAT THEN?
% >> WELL, WE'RE REALLY CONCERNED
% ABOUT THAT.
% WE HAVE PEOPLE REPORTING THAT
% THEIR PRICES FOR CHILDCARE WILL
% GO UP BETWEEN 20 AND 40%.
% I'M VERY CONCERNED THAT PARENTS
% WILL NOT BE ABLE TO AFFORD THAT.
% IT WILL COME DOWN TO, AND WHAT
% WE'RE HEARING FROM A LOT OF
% FAMILIES THAT WE'RE TALKING TO,
% IS THAT ONE OF THE PEOPLE WILL
% NOT BE WORKING ANYMORE, AND WE
% ALREADY HAVE A WORKFORCE CRISIS
% IN EVERY OTHER INDUSTRY.
% I'M TALKING TO EMPLOYERS ON A
% REGULAR BASIS IN WORKFORCE
% DEVELOPMENT AGENCIES AND THINGS
% LIKE THAT, SO THAT IS A REAL
% WALL TO HIT HERE IN WESTERN
% WISCONSIN, WHERE WE WILL JUST
% NOT HAVE WORKERS IF MOMS OR DADS
% ARE STAYING HOME TO CARE FOR
% CHILDREN.
% >> MEANWHILE, ON THE GROUND IN
% DAYCARE BUSINESSES, THERE'S KIND
% OF AI A MAJOR TURNOVER OF TEACHS
% ALL THE TIME.
% IS THAT RIGHT?
% >> THAT IS THE SITUATION AND
% THAT IS THE OTHER PIECE OF THIS
% THAT'S VERY SCARY TO ME AS AN
% EARLY CHILDHOOD PROFESSIONAL,
% THE AMOUNT OF TRANSITIONS THAT
% HAPPEN IN CHILDREN'S LIVES,
% THAT'S ENOUGH, JUST GOING TO
% CHILDCARE AND TRANSITIONING TO
% KINDERGARTEN AND THOSE TYPES OF
% THINGS.
% WE DON'T NEED TRANSITIONS OF
% TEACHERS ON A DAILY, WEEKLY,
% MONTHLY BASIS.
% THAT IS SO HARD ON THE CHILD,
% AND SO HARD ON THE FAMILY.
% SO WE'RE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT
% THE MENTAL HEALTH RAMIFICATIONS
% OF ALL OF THESE TRANSITIONS.
% >> ANOTHER THING OF INTEREST
% THAT I'VE LEARNED WHILE LOOKING
% AT THIS ISSUE WAS THAT 4-K
% OPPORTUNITIES IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS
% REALLY ENDED UP BEEPING BEING IS
% TO THE PRESCHOOL POPULATION AND
% THOSE BUSINESSES.
% HOW SO?
% >> AND I HATE TO SAY THAT
% BECAUSE I'M A SUPPORTER OF 4-K,
% BUT WHAT HAPPENED PRIOR TO THE
% PANDEMIC WHEN 4-K REALLY STARTED
% TO OPEN UP IN ALL OF THE
% COMMUNITIES, THOSE 4-K FAMILIES
% THEN GO TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT
% INSTEAD OF GOING TO CHILDCARE,
% AND THAT'S THAT BUSINESS MODEL
% THAT'S BROKEN, UNFORTUNATELY,
% BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT MAKING ANY
% MONEY WITH INFANT AND TODDLER
% CARE.% THE RATIOS, WHICH I
DON'T WANT
% CHANGED, ARE 4:1, AND SO FOUR
% INFANTS TO ONE ADULT.
% SO YOU'RE SUSTAINING YOUR
% BUSINESS BUT YOU'RE NOT MAKING
% ANY MONEY.
% YOU'RE REALLY LOOKING AT THE
% AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT'S COMING IN
% ON FOUR-YEAR-OLDS OR THREE OR
% FOUR-YEAR-OLDS BECAUSE YOU CAN
% HAVE OVER 20s OF THEM PER
% TEACHER, AND SO THAT'S REALLY
% THE SITUATION, IS THAT IT WAS
% KIND OF AN UNINTENDED
% CONSEQUENCE, IN MY OPINION.
% >> SO THE STATE IS LAUNCHING A
% GRANT PROGRAM THAT PARTNERS WITH
% BUSINESSES WHOSE EMPLOYEES NEED
% CHILDCARE.
% HOW IMPORTANT IS THAT AS SOME
% KIND OF A FIX HERE?
% >> I FEEL THAT IT'S INCREDIBLY
% IMPORTANT, AND IT'S BASED ON NOT
% JUST HELPING THE FAMILY AND
% HELPING THE EMPLOYER GET THE
% EMPLOYEE TO BE ABLE TO STAY AND
% RETAIN THEM AND BE PRODUCTIVE.
% THAT'S THE FIRST PIECE OF IT.
% BUT THE OTHER PEELS OF IT IS
% THAT PROGRAM, IT'S CALLED
% PARTNER UP, AND IT PAYS WHAT'S
% CALLED THE TRUE COST OF CARE
% INSTEAD OF MARKET RATE.
% SO YOU MENTIONED MARKET RATE
% EARLIER AS ABOUT A THOUSAND
% DOLLARS A MONTH FOR AN INFANT.
% TRUE COST OF CARE IS CLOSER TO
% $1,800 IN MY AREA.
% AND SO THE PARTNER UP PROGRAM
% PUTS THE BUSINESS BUYING THE
% SLOT AND THEN SOME GRANT MONEY
% TOGETHER ALONG WITH, IN THIS NEW
% ROUND OF PARTNER UP, SOME OF THE
% FAMILY PAYING FOR THE CARE AND
% THE THREE OF THEM THEN CAN
% AFFORD THE COST OF CARE INSTEAD
% OF THE MARKET RATE.
% >> MEANWHILE, WITH ABOUT HALF A
% MINUTE LEFT, WHAT ADVICE TENS OF
% THOUSANDS OF FOR STATE BUDGET
% WRITERS WHEN IT COMES TO HELPING
% THE CHILDCARE CRISIS HERE IN
% WISCONSIN?%>> I THINK THAT I'
D LIKE TO SAY
% THAT THIS MARKET IS NOT GOING TO
% FIX ITSELF.
% IT IS NOT ONE OF THOSE MARKETS
% WHERE WE CAN JUST CHARGE MORE.
% AND SO REALLY LOOKING AT SOME
% SUSTAINABLE HEALTH THAT WILL
% REALLY HELP NOT JUST THE ECONOMY
% IN THE SENSE OF THE CHILDCARE
% BUSINESSES, BUT THE ACTUAL
% BUSINESSES OUT THERE THAT ARE
% JUST TRYING TO RETRAIN AND
% ATTRACT NEW WORKERS.
% AND SO, PLEASE, LOOK INTO THE
% PARTNER UP PROGRAM AND THE
% FUNDING, INCREASED FUNDING WOULD
% BE SUPER TO WESTERN WISCONSIN.
% >> ALL RIGHT.