State Gets $10 Million Grant to Strengthen Early Childhood Program

Governor Tony Evers announced this week that Wisconsin has
been awarded $10 million through a grant program to strengthen the state’s
early childhood program. Money from the grant will allow the state to collect better
information about the needs of the early care and education system.

A news release says that through the grant activities, the
state will be looking at ways to improve recruitment, retention and support of
early childhood educators. Officials say finding qualified educators and
keeping them is often cited as one of the biggest challenges childcare
providers face. Through the grant, the state is also expected to look at how to
“bridge the gap” between early childhood and school-aged programming and
vulnerable and under-served children.

“The first years of a kids’ life sets the tone for their
future success,” Governor Evers said in a statement. “Right now, many families
struggle to find affordable and reliable care for their kids before they reach
school age. This grant provides us with an opportunity to clear some of those
hurdles, and to connect the dots for our kids and their families.”