Legislators and early care and education stakeholders from across the state participated in the 40th Wisconsin Family Impact Seminar, the La Follette School’s signature event for the State Legislature, on February 8. The Family Impact Seminar program provides high-quality, objective information to state legislators and policymakers, presenting research on key public policy issues that impact families in Wisconsin. This year’s seminar focused on Wisconsin’s child care infrastructure.
UW-Madison researcher Alejandra Roz Pilarz led the seminar by sharing emerging Wisconsin data from a child care supply project in partnership with the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families.
Anna Markowitz, Assistant Professor at the UCLA School of Education & Information Studies, then shared research on the consequences of high teacher turnover in early childhood education, including the impact of high turnover on child outcomes and the primary causes for teachers leaving the industry.
JoAnn Hsueh, director of MDRC’s Family Well-Being and Children’s Development policy area, wrapped up the seminar by sharing effective approaches to recruiting, supporting, and retaining a qualified early childhood education workforce.
After the seminar, legislators and state agency leaders participated in small group conversations during which policy options and implementation of suggested strategies were discussed.
The speakers’ PowerPoint presentations, issue briefs, and other child care infrastructure-related materials can be found on the Wisconsin Family Impact Seminar website.