Two Milwaukee child care owners are talking about the challenges of running their small business, and why they say they appreciate Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, a Democrat, calling for legislative help for child care centers.
Kelly and Jeremy Belot own Tiny Green Trees, a child care center on Milwaukee's west side that specializes in nature-based outdoor education for 113 kids.
Kelly Belot said federal pandemic relief money that Evers steered toward a few thousand Wisconsin child care centers under a program called Child Care Counts has been a big help to her business.
"Our funding helped us arrive at this new location, from opening two classrooms to six classrooms and a summer program. It's offered materials for our teachers, seasonal books and mentorship, continuing education programs. We have been able to bring in specialists to enrich our curriculum — such as movement teachers, the Urban Ecology Center staff. I could go on and on," Kelly said to news reporters on Tuesday.
Jeremy Belot picked up the list. "Retaining staff and providing benefits to staff has been a huge aspect to that as well. Helping to subsidize rent as well," Jeremy said, before Kelly added, "Offsetting costs for parents who are low-income that want this kind of care, but can't afford it."
Two months ago, the Republican-controlled state Legislature refused an Evers request to put the $340 million into the state budget for Child Care Counts, when the federal funds disappear at the end of 2023.
A Wisconsin Policy Forum study this year said some child care centers are considering rate increases, while others could close.
Kelly Belot said she's worried about her site: "With rent going up, with utilities going up, inflation, with the competitive market for teachers who could leave our industry and go into retail and make more, receive benefits, in other places, yes, it's a very real picture."
So Kelly Belot said she was excited when the governor's office called and asked if Tiny Green Trees could be where Evers called a special legislative session for September 20, 2023. The governor wants $1 billion of what he calls the state's readily available $4 billion surplus to go toward major spending on child care, a state-run paid family and medical leave program, more general operations money for the UW System, a new UW-Madison engineering building, and workplace innovation grants to boost the health care workforce.
Evers said he knows GOP lawmakers often limit his special sessions to a few minutes or a few seconds, under what's known as gaveling in and gaveling out. But he said he hopes next month's session will be different.
"Here's why — because at the end of the day, I know Republicans do not want to be responsible for farmers, hospitals, schools and other businesses in their districts not being able to find workers because parents can't find care for their kids. They do not want to be responsible for campuses that support local communities and drive local economies, laying off hundreds of people. They don't want to be responsible for helping create an economic calamity," Evers said, during the news conference.
But a repeat of past GOP attitudes toward special sessions appears likely. Assembly Majority Leader Tyler August (R-Lake Geneva) said, "Instead of returning the surplus to the taxpayers, Evers wants to go on a billion-dollar spending spree by expanding government and creating new unneeded programs. "
And Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu (R-Oostburg) said the best way to fix Wisconsin's workforce shortage is to create a competitive tax structure that'll attract talent and private investment to the state.
