% I'M MARISA WOJCIK.
% >> FINDING AND AFFORDING
% CHILDCARE IN WISCONSIN IS
% DIFFICULT FOR MANY FAMILIES AND
% NOW STATE BUDGET ACTION THIS
% WEEK DE-FUNDED A PANDEMIC
% SUBSIDY PROGRAM THAT GOVERNOR
% TONY EVERS WANTED TO MAKE
% PERMANENT.
% THE CHILDCARE PROGRAM AND
% HUNDREDS OF MVMENTDZ IN FEDERAL
% SUPPORT TO CHILDCARE PROVIDERS
% FOR STAFFING AND TO MAINTAIN
% COSTS FOR PARENTS.
% THE DOLLARS GO AWAY IN FEBRUARY
% BUT ARE STEEPLY REDUCED FOR
% PROVIDERS STARTING THIS MONTH.
% WE CHECK IN WITH ONE CHILDCARE
% PROVIDER IN RICHLAND CENTER FOR
% HER REACTION TO THE END OF THE
% CHILDCARE COUNTS PROGRAM.
% WE'RE JOINED BY JENNIE.
% THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US.
% >> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
% >> SO YOU HAVE SOME STAFF
% INTENSIVE CARE BECAUSE YOU
% PROVIDE INFANT CARE, I
% UNDERSTAND, THE ONLY SUCH CENTER
% WHERE YOU ARE.
% WHAT WILL THE LOSS OF THE
% FEDERAL DOLLARS MEAN TO YOUR
% CENTER AND THE FAMILIES THAT YOU
% SERVE?
% >> I'M GOING TO HAVE TO RAISE
% FEES FOR THE FAMILIES BECAUSE
% I'M NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO
% BUDGET CORRECTLY TO GIVE THE
% TEACHERS THAT I HAVE THE QUALITY
% PAY THAT THEY NEED TO KEEP THE
% QUALITY TEACHERS.
% I WILL HAVE TO CUT MY BUDGETS,
% MY SUPPLIES, WE WON'T BE ABLE TO
% UPDATE ANY EQUIPMENT.
% I MEAN, IT'S GOING TO BE A TIGHT
% GO OF IT WITHOUT THIS MONEY.
% >> DO YOU EXPECT THAT, GIVEN
% THAT YOU HAVE TO RAISE FEES,
% THAT SOME FAMILIES WILL MAKE THE
% CHOICE TO FOREGO CHILDCARE AS A
% RESULT AND YOU WILL THEREFORE
% LOSE FAMILIES?
% >> I DO.
% I DO.
% I FEEL PEOPLE WILL NOT BE ABLE
% TO AFFORD IT, THEY WILL NOT BE
% ABLE TO WORK.
% IT'S GOING TO BE A DOMINO
% EFFECT.
% >> SO YOU WERE DESCRIBING THAT
% UNDER THE PROGRAM, YOU WERE
% GETTING ABOUT $10,000 A MONTH.
% WHAT WERE YOU ABLE TO DO WITH
% THAT EXTRA FEDERAL MONEY COMING
% TO YOU THROUGH THIS PROGRAM?
% >> THAT MONEY WAS PAYING THE
% PAYROLL TAXES THAT I HAVE TO PAY
% FOR HAVING MY STAFF, AND ALSO I
% WAS UPDATING THINGS.
% I RECENTLY OPENED THIS RICHLAND
% CENTER AREA AND PROVIDED THREE
% MORE ROOMS FOR INFANT CARE, BUT
% THAT WAS WITH CHILDCARE COUNTS
% MONEY HELPED PAY FOR THE TAXES
% AND THEN WE ALSO HAD TO PARTNER
% UP, AND THAT HELPED PAY FOR THAT
% THREE EXTRA DOORS.
% PARTNER UP IS STILL GOING
% THROUGH I BELIEVE -- I DON'T
% REMEMBER.
% ONE MORE YEAR.
% THROUGH NEXT YEAR.
% AND WITH THIS CHILDCARE COUNTS
% CUTS OFF IN FEBRUARY.
% >> HOW DIFFICULT IS IT TO
% MAINTAIN STAFFING LEVELS EVEN
% WITH THE FEDERAL SUBSIDY?
% >> IT'S HARD.
% IT'S HARD.
% I DON'T PAY NEAR WHAT I WOULD
% LIKE TO BECAUSE OF -- I MEAN, I
% HAVE VERY, VERY GOOD STAFF, VERY
% GOOD GIRLS THAT LOVE THEIR JOBS,
% THEY LOVE THE KIDDOS, BUT I
% CAN'T PAY THEM WHAT A FACTORY
% WOULD PAY OR SOMEBODY DOWN THE
% ROAD, THE HOSPITALS CAN PAY, BUT
% THEY LOVE THEIR JOBS AND THEY
% LOVE WHAT THEY DO.
% IT'S HARD TO COMPETE WITH THE
% OUTSIDE.
% >> WHAT YOU DO IS SO VITAL AND
% SO IMPORTANT AND SUCH HARD WORK.
% WHAT IS YOUR MESSAGE TO THE
% LEGISLATURE ABOUT THIS PROGRAM
% AND ITS IMPORTANCE?
% >> I'M REALLY HOPING THAT THEY
% CAN REVISIT IT AND, YOU KNOW,
% FIND A WAY TO PUT IT INTO THE
% BUDGET.
% IT'S SOMETHING THANKFUL HAS
% HELPED FAMILIES, I MEAN, THE
% FUNDS -- WE'VE OPENED UP 200
% SLOTS WITHIN THE LAST TWO YEARS
% JUST WITH THESE FUNDS AND THE
% HELP OF THESE FUNDS, WE'RE
% HELPING LOTS OF FAMILIES GET
% BACK TO WORK.
% WE ARE IN THE BROOKLYN CENTER
% AREA.%THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO
FIND
% CHILDCARE.% WE'RE MOVING PEO
PLE FROM OTHER
% STATES UP TO WISCONSIN BECAUSE
% OF THIS CHILDCARE.
% I JUST HAD A FAMILY SIGN UP FROM
% GEORGIA, SOMEONE MOVED FROM
% TEXAS.
% SO, I MEAN, THIS PROGRAM, I
% DON'T RELY ON FEDERAL MONEY, BUT
% IT IS VERY HELPFUL TO KEEP MY
% DOORS OPEN AND KEEP THE HIGH
% QUALITY CARE THAT WE GIVE HERE
% AT SUNSHINE.
% >> ONE OF THE REPUBLICAN
% CO-CHAIRS OF THE BUDGET
% COMMITTEE SAYS THEY WILL BE
% BANKING $MAKING $45 MILLION
% AVAILABLE NOR LOW INCOME
% FAMILIES AND $15 MILLION FOR A
% REVOLVING LOAN FUND FOR
% CHILDCARE CENTER UPGRADES.
% IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU THINK
% SOUNDS WOULD BE HELPFUL?
% >> THE LOW INCOMES FAMILIES,
% YES, BUT YOU'RE REALLY MISSING
% THE MIDDLE INCOME FAMILIES OR
% THE -- OR THE MIDDLE INCOME
% FAMILIES THAT DON'T QUALIFY FOR
% THOSE PROGRAMS, AND THAT'S WHERE
% I CAN KEEP MY FEES AT A DECENTLY
% LEVEL FOR THOSE -- DECENT LEVEL