Wisconsin receives grant to strengthen early childhood care, education

MADISON Wis. (WKBT) — On Monday Governor Tony Evers announced that Wisconsin was awarded $10 million through the Preschool Development Birth to Five Grant (PDG B-5).

The grant will be used to strengthen the state’s early childcare system and will focus on addressing challenges around equity, access, quality, and affordability. It will also be used to look at ways to improve recruitment, retention, and support for people in the early care and education workforce, according to the press release.

Wisconsin will be able to collect better information about the needs of the early care and education system, which will be used to develop a state plan.

“The first years of a kid’s life set the tone for their future success,” Gov. Evers said. “Right now, many families struggle to find affordable and reliable care for their kids before they reach school age. This grant provides us with an opportunity to clear some of those hurdles, and to connect the dots for our kids and their families.”

The state’s plan includes efforts to bridge the gap between early childhood and school-aged programming and vulnerable and underserved children.

“The funding allows us to design a Wisconsin-specific approach that respects the diverse challenges our communities face in providing early care and education. This exciting opportunity for our state has the potential to transform the way we serve families and prepare our children for their K-12 education,” said State Superintendent Carolyn Stanford Taylor.

The PDG B-5 provides states with the necessary funding to make changes to their early care and education systems.

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