The State of Child Care in Wisconsin

 

Child care continues to be an important part of life for Wisconsin families. For many parents and caregivers, finding care that is affordable, available, convenient, and high-quality can be challenging.

 

At the same time, child care providers are navigating rising costs, staffing challenges, and the need to keep programs financially sustainable. Wisconsin’s Department of Children and Families reports that providers can have open licensed capacity while still maintaining waitlists, often because they don’t have enough staff to operate all available classrooms.

 

 

The Cost of Care

 

The cost of child care has continued to increase. Wisconsin’s 2026 Market Rate Survey found that full-time infant care averages about $17,400 per year in center-based programs and $13,000 in family-based care. Infant tuition increased an average of 8% in centers and 13% in family-based programs compared with the previous survey.

 

For families with young children, especially those needing full-time infant or toddler care, these costs can have a significant impact on the household budget.

 

 

Access Is About More Than Openings

 

Wisconsin’s child care system also faces an interesting challenge: there can be available licensed spaces and families still struggling to find care.

 

Providers across the state report being under their licensed capacity by thousands of children, while many also have waiting lists. Staffing is one factor. If a provider doesn’t have enough qualified employees, it may not be able to use all of the spaces it is licensed to offer.

 

This means improving access isn’t simply about creating more child care spaces. It also means supporting the workforce needed to staff those spaces.

 

 

Support for Families Is Changing

 

Wisconsin Shares continues to help eligible families pay for child care. In July 2026, the program served more than 40,000 children statewide.

 

Wisconsin has also introduced Get Kids Ready, a new program providing free school-readiness instruction for eligible four-year-olds through participating child care providers beginning in 2026.

 

These programs are part of a larger effort to support families and strengthen Wisconsin’s early childhood system.

 

 

What Does This Mean for Families?

 

The child care experience can look very different from one family to another. Families may be balancing:

 

-The cost of care
-Waitlists and availability
-Work schedules
-Transportation
-The age and needs of their child
-Finding care close to home or work
-Quality and educational opportunities

 

There isn’t one child care experience—and there isn’t one solution.

 

That’s why understanding what families are actually experiencing is so important.

 

For communities like Kenosha County, local feedback can help paint a clearer picture of where families are finding success, where they are struggling, and what types of child care they need.

 

 

We Want to Hear From Kenosha County Families

 

If you live and/or work in Kenosha County, consider taking a few minutes to complete the Child Care Needs Survey.

 

Your experience can help our community better understand the current child care landscape and the needs of local families.

 

Take the survey: https://dub.sh/KenoshaAchievementCenter

 

Because when we understand what families are experiencing, we can better understand what our community needs.