What's New

New State Budget Action! "Child Care Boost: Joint Finance Votes for $70 Million Increase for Wisconsin Shares Child Care Subsidy," May 23, 2007.

"Wisconsin Shares Opens Doors to Quality Early Learning for More Children,"
May 10, 2007, Guest Column: Laure Blanchard director of Wausau Child Care Inc and active member of the WI Early Learning Coalition on the importance of WI Shares funding for Wisconsin working families and their children.

"Trees Delivered to Capitol: Urge Support for WI Shares and Quality Education."
Joint Committee on Finance members received “trees” made by children from all over Wisconsin in an effort to fully fund WI Shares and improve quality of Wisconsin’s early education and care system.

Representative Rhoades and Representative Kestell posed with children and
their providers from Sunshine Family Child Care in Madison (above).
Senator Darling received a tree made by children and their providers from
Stepping Stones in Port Washington (below).

READY, SET, GROW CAMPAIGN GOES TO THE CAPITOL! Hundreds of postcards and dozens of art projects are being delivered to Legislators at the Capitol to support the Ready, Set, Grow: Early Learning Matters campaign of the Wisconsin Early Learning Coalition. Parents and early childhood teachers and providers from all across the state signed postcards to take to the Capitol.  Several programs developed art projects depicting the growth of children with support of their teachers and caregivers, using the tree as a symbol of stability and growth.  A display of the "tree" art project was in the Capitol rotunda the first week of May, and a group of teachers and children will present the first installment of the artwork and the postcards to key Legislators the week of May 7. Photos below and on the home page are just some of the projects submitted for the Tree Project and displayed at the Capitol:

Also displayed with the tree creations, was a letter to the legislature explaining the Tree Project
and asking them to support high quality early learning programs: Early Learning Matters To Me