Skip to content

A Coalition of Caring: How Wisconsin Advocates Are Building a System of Child Care for Infants and Toddlers

How advocates in Wisconsin are using strategic public financing to support young children in the state

A Coalition of Caring: How Wisconsin Advocates Are Building a System of Child Care for Infants and Toddlers

Wisconsin Early Childhood Association (WECA) has served the needs of children, families, and child care providers for more than 45 years. In recent years, WECA gained momentum in addressing the state’s pressing child care needs by pursuing two key approaches: (1) building a cross-sector coalition of advocates and (2) identifying goals and developing a strategic financing plan necessary to achieve their goals. Strategic financing work details the true costs of child care and maps existing funding sources available to support services for children and families. By comparing true costs alongside existing funds, communities identify critical areas and inequities to address, and advocates can then organize their efforts to increase investments.