Stable access to high-quality early care and education is essential for children and families, promoting healthy child development and making it easier for parents to work. However, for many years early care and education systems across the country have been contending with high rates of turnover and loss of providers. In Wisconsin, licensed family child care capacity has declined 51% since 2005, and 50% of center-based child care teachers plan to leave the field within the next five years. The loss of providers makes it difficult for parents to find care when they need it, and high rates of turnover undermine the benefits of high-quality care for children.
The seminar speakers discussed emerging data on child care access and availability in Wisconsin and the effects high teacher turnover rates have on children. They presented possible policy solutions to stabilize and grow the early care and education workforce in Wisconsin, such as supplemental income programs and comprehensive post-secondary education supports.
Presentations
Early Care and Education in Wisconsin
by Alejandra Ros Pilarz, PHD
Assistant Professor of Social Work, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Powerpoint (pdf) Video (YouTube)
Consequences of Teacher Turnover in Early Care and Education
by Anna Markowitz, PHD
Assistant Professor of Education and Information Studies, University of California Los Angeles
Powerpoint (pdf) Video (YouTube)
Exploring Evidence-Based Ways to Support the Early Care and Education Workforce
by JoAnn Hsueh, PHD
Director of Family Well-Being and Children’s Early Development Policy Team, MDRC
Powerpoint (pdf) Video (YouTube)
Additional Materials
Issue Briefs
- Early Care and Education in Wisconsin: Workforce Demographics, Access, and Trends
- Early Care and Education in Wisconsin: Consequences of Teacher Turnover
- Early Care and Education in Wisconsin: Policy Solutions
Legislative Fiscal Bureau Memo: Child Care in Wisconsin
Recent Legislation and Programming from Other States