The Greater Fox Valley Child Care Alliance is a network of partners across NE Wisconsin (from Greater Green Bay to Oshkosh) 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.
With this newsletter we aim to educate and inform our communities about the need to transform early care and education in ways that will bring about more equitable and lasting outcomes for children and families across the region and to spark opportunities for action, alignment and coordination.
This month you’ll find:
LOCAL NEWS:
- Exchange Magazine, featuring Encompass “Becoming the Employer of Choice”
- Bay Area Workforce Development Board & WECA partner for child care in 11 NE WI counties
OPPORTUNITIES TO ENGAGE & LEARN:
- Prenatal-to-3 State Policy Roadmap for Wisconsin
- Children’s Funding Project, national analysis of how states use state, federal and federal Covid relief funding to support children and youth
- Raising Wisconsin Advocacy Digest shares important legislative updates, research links and media coverage of ECE
Local News
The Alliance recognizes the importance of retaining and building high-quality, affordable, culturally responsive ECE that justly compensates providers. We are fortunate to have strong examples of providers who are committed to and share best practices in our region. Alliance partners are working to exchange information, resources, referrals, and data so that learning, ideas, and solutions are shared and improved upon across the region. Two recent efforts are shared here:
Congratulations to Encompass (Greater Green Bay area), as featured business entity in Early Care and Education article “Becoming the Employer of Choice”.
“We still have lots of opportunity for growth and it’s great to have our work being recognized” quote from Missy Schmeling, Exec. Dir. Encompass
Bay Area Workforce Development Board & WECA partner for child care in 11 NE WI counties
Bay Area Workforce Development Board and Wisconsin Early Childhood Association (WECA) are bringing child care professionals in the Bay Area’s 11 counties an exclusive new opportunity to tap into the all the resources and mentoring available through WECA’s Wisconsin Early Education Shared Services Network (WEESSN).
Read More about WECA’s WEESSN
Opportunities to Engage & Learn
2023 Prenatal-to-3 State Policy Roadmap
“The Prenatal-to-3 State Policy Roadmap guides state leaders on the most effective investments to ensure all children thrive from the start. Grounded in the science of the developing child and based on the most rigorous evidence available, the Roadmap details the state actions that foster the nurturing environments infants and toddlers need, and that reduce longstanding racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities in access and outcomes”.
To view the Wisconsin Policy Roadmap, click Learn More.
The Children’s Funding Project helps communities and states expand opportunities for children and youth through strategic public financing. Through technical assistance and resources, they help communities identify and align existing funding, generate new revenue, and implement strategies to administer funds in ways that maximize impact.
Their analysis of how much states spend on programs and services for children and youth – including state, federal, and COVID relief funding – can help inform local and state strategies here in Wisconsin.
While Wisconsin is not included in the analysis, conversations are taking place with Children’s Funding Project and others across the state to explore the fiscal mapping of resources in our state
Raising WI Advocacy Digest shares important State legislative updates, research information and links to local media coverage, including an article featuring Bridges Child Enrichment Center and the Kindness Curriculum
The Child Care Alliance continues to support efforts to increase wages and benefits for child care workers in the region. Child care compensation has emerged as a central issue driving the lack of enough child care openings in the region to meet demand. Children and families in need of care rely on this essential workforce. Please let us know if you would like to connect in this work through the Three Action Teams. To learn more about the strategic action teams, click the link below.
Learn More About the Strategic Action Teams
Thank You Partners
Read More Child Care Alliance News