The Northeast Wisconsin Child Care Alliance is a network of partners working to make it easier for children ages birth to 5 and their families to get the high-quality, affordable early care and education (ECE) and family supports they need to thrive.

Our newsletters aim to educate and inspire communities working to transform early care and education in ways that will bring about more equitable and lasting outcomes and to spark opportunities for action, alignment, and coordination.

This month you’ll find:

LOCAL + STATE NEWS:

  • April is Strengthening Families Month – join Alliance members at several community and family-friendly events over the next few weeks!
  • Governor and Dept of Children and Families Secretary visit Cradle to Crayons Learning Center in Kimberly
  • Research from WECA’s Center for Policy, Research, and Engagement details the growing gap between child care slots and staff capacity. Wisconsin has the space, but not the staff to serve more families.
  • Wisconsin Policy Forum’s report “Funding the First Years and Beyond: Options to Raise Revenue for Child Care” details state and local levers to increase revenue.
  • Tax Education Project helps childcare providers navigate tax filings through hands-on coaching and education.

OPPORTUNITIES TO ENGAGE & LEARN:

HIGHLIGHTING FAMILIES & YOUNG CHILDREN THIS APRIL

April is Strengthening Families Month

The NE Wisconsin Child Care Alliance believes children and families thrive when they can equitably access high-quality, affordable, early care and education that offers child care providers competitive wages and meets the needs of diverse families across the region. To that end, we’re excited to highlight activities of Alliance member organizations who are hosting community events honoring and celebrating providers, families, and young children.

Each April communities across Wisconsin come together to celebrate Strengthening Families Month, a statewide effort led by Thriving Wisconsin to uplift the safe, stable, and nurturing environments all children need to thrive. The month shines a light on the many ways families draw on their strengths and community supports to build resilience and well‑being. The Alliance and its partners believe every child deserves a strong foundation, and this month provides opportunities for families, caregivers, and organizations to connect with resources that support healthy family life.

Week of the Young Child: April 11-17, 2026

The Week of the Young Child, celebrated annually by the National Association for the Education of Young Children and its Wisconsin state affiliate WECA, highlights the joy, discovery, and learning that happens when young children are supported by caring adults, educators, and communities.

Many local municipalities, counties, and leaders across the state are working to elevate Week of the Young Child including communities in NE Wisconsin. The week encourages playful learning experiences that build early literacy, creativity, and meaningful family engagement. It is a wonderful time for the community to come together and celebrate the importance of high‑quality early learning and for community leaders to recognize early childhood educators and professionals in supporting the growth and development of our youngest community members.

Check out all the activities below!

MONDAY, APRIL 13 starting at 4:30 p.m.

Make a Circle Documentary Screening

Monday, April 13, 2026
4:30 p.m. snacks/food | 5:15 p.m. film begins
Brown County Library Lower-Level Auditorium
515 Pine St, Green Bay

Come celebrate the Week of the Young Child with a public viewing of the documentary, Make a Circle hosted by Achieve Brown County. The story asks us to consider whose labor is valued, whose is overlooked, and what it truly means to care for one another. Prior to the film, ABC will have snacks and an activity to thank local child care providers for their support and care of children and families! This event is free to the public, but registration is required in order to plan accordingly for food and supplies. Please register here.

More about the film: Make a Circle is a love letter to early educators and a rallying cry for a system in crisis. The film follows a group of childcare providers determined to change how society values the education of its youngest citizens. Weaving together the magic they create in the classroom, the struggles they endure at home, and their tireless activism for their profession, it’s a moving portrait of life as an early childhood educator and a promising blueprint for fixing our broken childcare system. Watch the trailer here.

 

THURSDAY, APRIL 16 from 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
FCRNEW Open House
April 16th 11 AM-1 PM
414 S Jefferson Street, Green Bay

Come celebrate the Week of the Young Child and Family Strengthening month by visiting Family & Childcare Resources of NE Wisconsin’s new building! You’ll learn from staff about the variety of programming offered and see how FCRNEW support families and childcare providers. Fun activities and light refreshments will be provided for all!

FRIDAY, APRIL 17 at 11:30AM
Strengthening Families Month Fox Valley Public Proclamation

April 17 at 11:30am
First 5 Fox Valley Family Resource Center
111 W College Avenue, Appleton on Houdini Plaza

In observation of Strengthening Families Month, a public proclamation of support will be made by Outagamie County Executive Tom Nelson, State Representative Lee Snodgrass, Kay Kiesling, Manager of the Children, Youth, and Families Division at Outagamie County, and Dr. Barb Tengesdal of First 5 Fox Valley to promote awareness of the important work the community is doing to build the necessary foundations for healthy families in the region and to honor the development of the new regional Family Resource Center. Thanks to the Outagamie County Citizen Review Panel for their recent letter in the Post Crescent highlighting the event and calling out the 5 protective factors that help families thrive, manage stress, and navigate challenges.

Governor Visits Fox Valley

Alliance member Julie Stoffel and husband Nathan, owners of Cradle to Crayons Learning Center, hosted Governor Evers and Department of Children and Families Secretary Jeff Pertl at their child care center in Kimberly, Wisconsin. The Governor and DCF Secretary saw firsthand the important work happening in early care and education in our region while recognizing the dedicated team of professionals on-site who make a difference in children’s lives everyday.

Stabilizing the ECE Workforce Means Building Child Care Capacity

A new report from WECA’s Center for Policy, Research and Engagement details the current (and long-standing) staffing challenge facing child care in our state. In 2024 alone, more than 6,000 early childhood educators in Wisconsin exited the field, representing almost 25% of the state’s overall child care workforce. In Wisconsin, early childhood educators earn an average of just over $14 per hour, while the statewide median wage across occupations is close to $23 an hour. This pay gap is not a reflection of the value or complexity of the work, rather, it is a direct consequence of a funding model that relies nearly exclusively on the fees families pay to sustain a public good. This report was highlighted nationally on the Zero to 8 blog.

Funding the First Years and Beyond: Options to Raise Revenue for Child Care

The Wisconsin Funders for Children and Families, a funder collaborative convened by the Wisconsin Philanthropy Network, supported the Wisconsin Policy Forum’s recent brief detailing the policy options available for raising local and state revenue. The report examines a range of fiscal strategies available to Wisconsin policymakers to address rising cost, limited availability, and low wages of childcare. The report notes that while options do exist locally, there are more opportunities to generate new revenue available at the state level.
Tax Education Project

Through a partnership with Civitas Strategies, WECA launched a program designed to support independent child care providers with tax education, coaching, and a stipend for participation. The program launched in Wisconsin, Arizona, Colorado, and Nebraska to resounding success with slots already full in Wisconsin. Through the partnership, family child care providers and independent group or center-based child care programs will be able to understand their taxes more clearly, maximize their deductions and savings, strengthen their management practices, and file with confidence.
  • Recent reports highlight how states and cities across the political spectrum are stepping up to address child care. This piece on NPR’s All Things Considered highlights a few examples while also speaking to the on-going challenges of costs and workforce wages. In States Push for Dedicated Funds, the Children’s Funding Project details how a few states are continuing to push on legislation to increase revenue despite navigating recent federal budget cuts combined with the impact of state tax cuts from prior years.
  • Urban Institute releases “Policy Solutions for an Affordable Solution” detailing policy recommendations and actions at the local, state, and federal level in the areas of child care, housing, health care, food, and increasing earnings and income. The Institute’s research shows that more than half of people in the country live in families that do not have the resources to cover what it costs to live securely in their communities. As a result, families struggle to pay their bills or save for the future, limiting their opportunities for economic mobility.
  • Funder Webinar: On April 7th the national Early Childhood Funders Collaborative is hosting “Building State-Level Early Childhood Ecosystems: A Funder Conversation”. ECF Members can register to participate here.

Thank You Partners

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