Dear Editor,
Recently, we had the opportunity to welcome Ben Gruber, candidate for Wisconsin State Assembly District 51, to our Dodgeville child care center to talk about something that is incredibly important to me-the child care crisis facing families, providers and early childhood educators across Wisconsin.
What I appreciated most was that this wasn’t simply a quick visit or a photo opportunity. Ben took the time to tour our center, talk with our staff, interact with the children, ask questions and, most importantly, listen.
We talked honestly about what child care providers are facing the challenges of recruiting and retaining quality teachers, affordability for families, and what it truly takes to keep quality child care available in our rural communities.
I’ve had a lot of conversations about child care over the years, and I walked away from this one feeling encouraged. I felt heard. I felt that Ben genuinely wanted to understand what is happening inside our centers and what our families, teachers and providers need.
And I walked away believing something else: if Ben Gruber is elected to represent the 51st Assembly District, child care providers will have someone in Madison who understands the importance of the work we do and who will stand up for the children, families, educators and providers who depend on a strong child care system.
Child care isn’t just a family issue. It’s a workforce issue, an economic issue and a rural-community issue. If parents can’t find child care, they can’t go to work. And if providers can’t afford to keep their doors open and pay good teachers, our communities feel the impact.
The answer is not to replace the child care providers who have been serving families in our communities for years. We need leaders who are willing to listen to those providers, understand the challenges we face and work with us to find solutions that allow quality child care programs to remain strong and sustainable. As we look for solutions, we must keep the needs of the child at the center of the conversation, recognizing the important role that quality early childhood programs play in providing young children with nurturing relationships, developmentally appropriate environments and the foundation they need before entering the school years. This conversation should be about what is best for our youngest children not simply about where the dollars go.
Thank you, Ben, for showing up, spending time with us and listening. I’m grateful when someone seeking public office is willing to come directly into a child care center and hear from the people doing this work every single day.
Our children, families, early childhood educators and child care providers deserve to have their voices heard. After our conversation with Ben, I am encouraged that those voices are being heard.
Beth Mikrut-Gilles Dodgeville, WI