WHITEWATER, Wis. — In recent years, Wisconsin has dealt with a child care crisis. Day cares across the state are facing staffing challenges, leaving families struggling to find openings.
The current situation is not only impacting families but also the state’s economy.
According to the Wisconsin Economic Development Institute, four out of five employers believe that the state’s economy is affected by parents’ poor access to affordable, high-quality child care.
In the midst of this crisis, the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater is taking action to address the issue head-on. Through its innovative master’s program in Early Childhood Education Policy, Chelsea Newman and Jenna Lee Johnson said they’re working to improve the child care industry in Wisconsin and beyond.
Newman and Johnson said they’re both passionate about early childhood education. They are pursuing their master’s degrees online while actively working in the field.
Newman, who serves as a day care director, said there’s a need to increase pay for lead teachers, as they’re not babysitters but educators crucial for children’s development.
“We all have degrees and what we do is valuable. The first five years of life for children is the most important in their brain development, so first and foremost, advocating for the families, and then for the families, it shouldn’t cost them their entire income,” said Newman.
With her experience in the classroom, Johnson said there is a need to increase the number of teachers in the field so more spots can be opened in classrooms.
She said that will enable more families to access high-quality child care while pursuing employment opportunities.
“If we get more teachers in the field, we can open more spots in the classroom and more families can have high-quality experiences for their children and they can work and that has a ripple effect,” said Johnson.
Under the guidance of professor Lucy Heimer, the coordinator of the master’s program, students learn about the legislative process and policy.
Heimer said the students are equipping themselves with the tools to advocate for improvements in the child care system.
“The goal is that those most impacted by the policy are actually working to create change in the system to better support their work so that we can support the workforce,” said Heimer.
The program’s online format supports students actively working in the field, making it accessible to anyone passionate about early childhood education, regardless of their location.
The program costs the same for those living in and outside of Wisconsin.
Johnson recently met with leaders at the state and national level to push for change in the system.
“With continued turnover of staff, that is draining on the limited resources programs have but it also impacts children and families. When children don’t have consistent caregivers, they don’t feel secure and safe in their environments and that’s a key component of early childhood, so really relaying that to help our lawmakers understand that,” said Johnson.
As Newman and Johnson prepare to graduate from the program, they said they are more than ready to build better opportunities for children, families and child care workers everywhere.
If you are interested in learning more about the Master of Science in Education in Early Childhood Education Policy offered at UW-Whitewater, click here.