WE ARE NOT GOING TO DO THAT IN
WISCONSIN.
>>> VOS FURTHER SAYS PROPOSAL TO
GIVE CHILDCARE PROVIDERS BY
EVERS A ONE-TIME PAYMENT OF $365
MILLION IS A 12-MONTH PATCH TO
MATCH WHAT THEY LOST THROUGH THE
FEDERAL STIMULUS PLAN, CALLING
IT UNSUSTAINABLE.
PEOPLE WHO STUDY WISCONSIN'S
CHILDCARE AND ITS RAMIFICATIONS
ON THE WORKFORCE, FAMILIES AND
CHILDREN, WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT
FUNDING PATCH, HOWEVER, FEARING
THE COLLAPSE OF THE INDUSTRY IN
SHORT ORDER.
WE SAT DOWN WITH ALEJANDRA ROS
PILARZ, UW-MADISON ASSISTANT
PROFESSOR IN THE SCHOOL OF
SOCIAL WORK.
WE STARTED BY ASKING HER TO
DESCRIBE HOW BAD THE SHORTAGE OF
LICENSED CHILDCARE PROVIDERS IS
AND THE IMPLICATIONS OF THAT.
>> WHEN WE THINK ABOUT ACCESS OF
CHILDCARE, WE THINK ABOUT A FEW
DIFFERENT THINGS.
ONE IS JUST GEOGRAPHIC
PROXIMITY, LIKE CAN FAMILIES,
HOW FAR THEY HAVE TO DRIVE TO
GET TO A NEARBY CHILDCARE
PROVIDER.
IN WISCONSIN, WE KNOW THE
GEOGRAPHIC ACCESS REALLY VARIES
A LOT ACROSS THE STATE, SO IN
URBAN AREAS, IT TENDS TO BE A
LITTLE BETTER.
BUT IN RURAL AREAS, THERE'S
ABOUT 3.4 CHILDREN PER REGULATED
CHILDCARE SLOT.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE CALL IT, WHEN
THERE'S 3 OR 4 KIDS PER
CHILDCARE SLOT.
THAT SUGGESTS IN RURAL AREAS,
ESPECIALLY, BUT IN OTHER PARTS
OF THE STATE, TOO, THAT THERE'S
FAMILIES LACK THESE GEOGRAPHIC
ACCESS TO CHILDCARE.
THEY HAVE TO DRIVE REALLY FAR TO
GET TO A NEARBY PROVIDER.
BUT THE SECOND KEY PIECE IS
AFFORDABILITY, AND SO EVEN IF
YOU HAVE PROVIDERS WHO ARE NEAR
YOU, YOU MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO
AFFORD THEM.
SO IN WISCONSIN, CHILDCARE FOR
AN INFANT IN THE CENTER COSTS
$13,500 A YEAR.
THAT IS UNAFFORDABLE FOR MANY
FAMILIES.
AND SO EVEN WHEN THERE IS THAT
SPOT AVAILABLE, IF YOU HAVE TO
PAY $13,000 PER YEAR, YOU'RE NOT
GOING TO BE ABLE TO AFFORD THAT.
>> WHO DOES THIS SHORTAGE HURT
THE MOST?
>> OBVIOUSLY, IT MOST DIRECTLY
IMPACTS CHILDREN AND PARENTS AND
CHILDCARE PROVIDERS, BUT IT ALSO
HAS RAMIFICATIONS FOR THE LABOR
MARKET, FOR THE ECONOMY, AND SO
ULTIMATELY ALL OF US.
AND SO FOR -- LET ME KIND OF
WALK YOU THROUGH HOW IT IMPACTS
DIFFERENT CHILDREN AND PARENTS.
SO FOR CHILDREN, THERE'S A
WEALTH OF RESEARCH THAT HIGH
QUALITY EARLY CARE EDUCATION, OR
CHILDCARE, IS REALLY CRITICAL TO
THEIR DEVELOPMENT.
SO IT MATTERS FOR NOT JUST THEIR
SHORT-TERM EDUCATION, ACADEMIC
PERFORMANCE, BUT ALSO
LONGER-TERM CHILDREN WHO HAVE
HIGH QUALITY EARLY EDUCATION GO
FURTHER IN SCHOOL AND HAVE
HIGHER EARNINGS AS ADULTS.
THEY ARE HEALTHIER AND SO ALL OF
THESE THINGS, ALL OF THOSE
BENEFITS TO KIDS PAY OFF TO
SOCIETY AS WELL.
AND THEN FOR PARENTS, PARENTS
NEED CHILDCARE TO BE ABLE TO
WORK.
AND SO IF THEY ARE WORKING LESS
OR NOT WORKING AT ALL, THAT
OBVIOUSLY IMPACTS THEIR EARNINGS
TYPICALLY EARNINGS ECONOMIC
WELL-BEING BECAUSE THEY HAVE
SACRIFICED INCOME AND ALSO
IMPACTS THE ECONOMY BECAUSE YOU
HAVE PRODUCTIVE WORKERS WHO ARE
STEPPING OUT OF THE LABOR FORCE
AND BUSINESSES WHO CAN'T FIND
WORKERS OR WHO HAVE LOTS OF
TURNOVER.
>> HOW DID WE GET TO THIS PLACE
WHERE PARENTS CAN'T AFFORD
QUALITY CARE AND PROVIDERS CAN'T
AFFORD TO PAY THEIR STAFF REALLY
LIVING WAGES?
>> CHILDCARE PROVIDERS, THOSE
WHO CARE FOR THE KIDS, ARE THE
MOST IMPORTANT INGREDIENT OF
CHILDCARE, OBVIOUSLY.
RIGHT?
SO THIS IS CRITICAL TO HIGH
QUALITY CARE.
IN ORDER TO DO THAT, WE NEED TO
HAVE FEWER KIDS PER TEACHER SO
THAT TEACHERS CAN HAVE THESE
HIGH-QUALITY INTERACTIONS WITH
KIDS.
AND SO YOU NEED A LOT OF PEOPLE
TO PROVIDE THAT CARE.
SO IN A CHILDCARE CENTER, THE
MAJORITY OF THE COSTS GO TOWARDS
LABOR, TOWARDS HIRING TEACHERS
WHO DO THIS WORK, AND SO
WHENEVER YOU WANT TO INCREASE
TEACHERS' WAGES, OR YOU RETAIN
THEM, YOU ARE INCREASING YOUR
OVERALL BUDGET BY A LOT, YOUR
OVERALL COSTS BY A LOT, AND SO
CHILDCARE CENTERS HAVE NO OPTION
BUT TO PASS THAT ON TO PARENTS
BECAUSE WITHOUT ADDITIONAL
PUBLIC INVESTMENT.
SO YOU HAVE PARENTS WHO REALLY
CAN'T AFFORD TO PAY MORE AND
CHILDCARE CENTERS WHO WANT TO
PAY THEIR STAFF MORE BUT CAN'T,
RAISE WAGES AT THE RISK OF
LOSING PARENTS.
>> DO YOU THINK THAT THE
GOVERNOR'S CALL FOR A BILLION
DOLLARS INVESTMENT TOWARD THIS
PROBLEM IS THE RIGHT FIX?
>> SO IT'S ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL
TO MAINTAINING THE STATUS QUO.
SO RIGHT NOW, WE DO HAVE A
CHILDCARE SHORTAGE.
THE SYSTEM IS NOT FUNCTIONING
WELL AND THE FUNDING THAT THE
GOVERNOR IS CALLING FOR IS TO
MAINTAIN THE CURRENT FUNDING.
IF WE DON'T INVEST MORE,
PANDEMIC RELIEF FUNDS THAT ARE
CURRENTLY KEEPING THE SYSTEM
SORT OF STABLE ARE GOING TO GO
AWAY.
AND SO THERE'S THIS REAL FEAR
THAT WHEN THAT MONEY RUNS OUT,
THAT THE SYSTEM IS GOING TO
DESTABILIZE AND PRICES ARE GOING
TO GO UP, PARENTS ARE GOING TO
HAVE TO HAVE FEWER OPTIONS FOR
CARE, WORKERS ARE GOING TO
LEAVE, AND SO THAT MONEY IS
ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL TO HAVING
THAT NOT HAPPEN AND MAINTAINING
WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW, BUT IN
THE LONGER-TERM, WE DO NEED MORE
SUBSTANTIAL PUBLIC INVESTMENTS
IN CHILDCARE IN ORDER TO IMPROVE
THE SYSTEM.
TO MAKE THINGS BETTER.
SO THAT PARENTS DON'T HAVE TO
SPEND 20% OF THEIR INCOME ON
CHILDCARE.
SO THAT TEACHERS CAN MAKE MORE
THAN $13 ON AVERAGE AN HOUR, AND
SO WE NEED ADDITIONAL TO MAKE
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE SYSTEM, BUT
THE FUNDING THAT HAS BEEN
PROPOSED BY GOVERNOR EVERS IS
CRITICAL TO MAINTAINING THINGS
WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW.