Madison College Announces Million Child Care Facility to Address Community Needs
MADISON, WI – In a significant move aimed at alleviating the critical shortage of affordable child care, Madison College has partnered with local leadership to announce a new million child care facility on its Goodman South Campus. This announcement was made during a press conference held on Tuesday, where prominent figures such as Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway and Madison College President Jack Daniels III emphasized the importance of this initiative for the community.
Statistics reveal that approximately 42 percent of Madison College’s enrolled students are parents, underscoring the necessity for accessible child care services within the region. This pressing need has been amplified by a reported decline of nearly 30 percent in the child care workforce from 2020 to 2021, creating a gap that the college aims to help fill.
According to the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families (DCF), there is currently a significant under-capacity in the state’s child care services, affecting around 33,000 children. While many child care facilities are equipped with available spaces, over half are unable to accommodate new enrollments due to staffing shortages. This paradox highlights the complex landscape of child care in Wisconsin, where demand far exceeds the supply owing to a dwindling workforce.
The ramifications of this inadequacy are profound; DCF estimates that Wisconsin loses .1 billion annually in economic activity as parents opt to stay home due to the inaccessibility of child care services. The planned facility at Madison College is expected to create additional openings for local families, though there are concerns it may draw resources away from existing child care providers, further straining the ecosystem.
In response to inquiries about the potential competition for staff, Madison College’s Dean of the School of Human and Protective Services, Jessica Cioci, stated the college is focused on not only meeting the needs of its students but also contributing positively to the larger community’s child care landscape. The college plans to integrate practical training for students in early childhood education within the new facility, thus addressing both immediate staffing concerns and long-term workforce development.
Situated on the current site of Madison Fire Station 6, the new building aims to provide two floors of classrooms designed for children under the age of five. It is anticipated to open its doors in 2026, with construction already underway to meet the urgent demand for child care services.
Among the new hires is Decara Cooper, a soon-to-be graduate who will work at the existing child care center at the Truax Campus until the new facility opens. Cooper has voiced concerns about the low wages that plague the early childhood education sector. She asserts that early childhood educators play a vital role in society, comparable to that of doctors and first responders. “At the end of the day, we’re raising these people to become doctors and firefighters and police officers,” she stated. “Leaving us at the bottom of the wage scale demonstrates that our contributions are undervalued.”
As Madison College moves forward with its ambitious project, the hope is that this facility will not only provide immediate relief for families in need of child care but also stimulate broader discussions about the value of early childhood education and the importance of competitive wages to attract and retain dedicated professionals in the field. This initiative is positioned as a transformative step toward creating a more sustainable future for both families and the local economy.
