FOND DU LAC (NBC 26) — “I can't find childcare, I could potentially lose my job, and then I have nothing," said Tijana Williams, a 35-year-old mother of two.
Fond du Lac County has identified a “critical need” for childcare in the community, made worse by one large local childcare facility closing this fall.
Tijana Williams, who has a five-year-old girl and a two-year-old boy, said this is a big issue for her family.
“Childcare is kind of at the top of our needs as parents," Williams said. "And when we don't have that, everything underneath it just can begin to crumble. And that’s really what I’m experiencing.”
Williams said her son recently lost his spot at daycare, forcing her to search for new options.
"I've been searching for about the past 30 days, and everywhere has a waitlist that is, like a year or two long," Williams said.
One childcare facility to which Williams is applying is Lily Pad Learning Center. And Lily Pad director Angela Schmitz said Williams isn't the only one unable to get a spot—her waitlist grew by 40 children after Shining Star Learning Center, a facility licensed to serve 100 children, closed in November.
Schmitz said during the past few years, they've been struggling to keep rates low for families while still paying enough to retain skilled workers.
"It's imperative that we have trained staff, but who wants to go to college and get an associate's and a bachelor's degree to make $13.66 an hour? " Schmitz said.
Sadie Howell with Envision Greater Fond du Lac said a shortage of childcare can have a ripple effect in the community.
"When women leave the workforce to stay home to care, that is millions of dollars in an economy that is lost," Howell said.
That includes Williams's son.
"If he were to be out of childcare, that would make all of those things so much harder to afford because I won't be able to find the work that I need," Williams said.
So, what are some solutions?
Schmitz is working with the Wisconsin Early Childhood Association (WECA)to lobby the government for more funding. She's hoping for a $2 billion investment into childcare in the next budget, which she said can help her pay her employees more and keep rates affordable for families.
"Without that funding, my rates will need to increase anywhere from 10 to 20%," Schmitz said.
Howell said there's no consensus on the next steps, but other groups can help, too.
“Right now, there's a lot of organizations that are trying to either offer business support, including us," Howell said. "We can help with entrepreneurial support, but really, until there is a way to increase the wages for the workers and keep the weekly tuition affordable.”
Envision said they’re planning to continue conversations with local providers, parents, and nonprofit groups like the YMCA to find ways to remedy the issue locally.
Williams said she hopes to find a solution through legislation.
"I think that we're we need to shift our mindset and really see child care as the fundamental infrastructure of our society nowadays," Williams said.
