MADISON, Wis. — The South Madison community will soon have another much-needed child care option as Madison College prepares to begin construction on a new $10 million facility. The space will not only provide services but also help train the next generation of early childhood educators at the Goodman South Campus.
An existing fire station in the South Madison community will be transformed into a new early-learning campus to help address the shortage of affordable child care in the neighborhood. The crisis worsened with a nearly 30% decline in the child care workforce between 2020 and 2021, according to Madison College.
Last year, the city agreed to sell Fire Station No. 6, located at Perry Street and Badger Road, to Madison College for $1 with plans to remodel it into a new child care facility.
“There’s not a whole lot the city can do directly to make there be more child care spots, but we can certainly help with the buildings,” Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway said.
The plans also include instructional space for the college’s early childhood education programs.
“If we can make it more affordable, accessible to folks who have children, get them the skills so they can be employed gainfully, this is what we’re about,” Madison College President Jack E. Daniels said.
In 2021, Madison College received nearly $3 million in grants from the state’s Workforce Innovation Fund. Almost $1.25 million was allocated toward the early learning campus project and developing in-demand skills training in child care.
Madison College leaders said the facility is about meeting the needs of its students, including 42% of whom are parents.
“We have a lot of students who need regularly scheduled child care,” Jessica Cioci, dean of the School of Human and Protective Services at Madison College, explained. “We also have a lot of students who just need somewhere to bring their child while they meet with their advisor, while they attend study group, while they get some additional support. That has been something that has been a significant challenge for our students, and as we’ve engaged in this work and really tried to center the voice of the student-parent, we are hearing that loudly and clearly.”
The goal is to have the new facility open in Jan. 2026. Once complete, the campus will seek City of Madison and national accreditation and offer child care services for children aged 6-weeks to 5-years-old, along with drop-in care, for students, partners and the public.