Milwaukee Succeeds Receives $250,00 Grant for Child Care Stability Research
Milwaukee Succeeds has received a $250,000 grant from the Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin Endowment (AHW) to lead a two-year research project focused on strengthening the stability of Wisconsin's early childhood education (ECE) sector.
The project utilizes results from Milwaukee Succeeds' Stability Project, which developed new metrics to better understand child care stability, program turnover and closures across Milwaukee. Through new research and analysis, this effort will help identify the factors that contribute to the success of child care programs, uncover early signs that a program may be at risk of closing and inform recommendations to better support ECE programs throughout Wisconsin.
“I am thrilled that our project was awarded a grant from AHW,” said Kristin Kappelman, Milwaukee Succeeds’ director of research. “These grants are highly competitive and sought after, and our award clearly demonstrates the importance and value of ECE in our community.”
Why This Research Matters
This project comes at a time when many child care programs are facing significant challenges, from staffing shortages and rising operational costs to the loss of state funding. When the pressure becomes too much and these programs are forced to close, the effects ripple far beyond the classroom, creating disruptions for children, families and our economy as a whole. At its core, this project aims to stem the tide of child care closures, building long-term stability not just for these programs but for the families and communities that rely on them.
Beginning this July, Milwaukee Succeeds – in partnership with the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW), Wisconsin Early Childhood Association, 4C for Children, the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families, YoungStar Connect and Premier Inc. – will begin a two-year process of research, analysis and discovery with the goal of helping child care programs navigate these challenges and continue serving their communities.
The project represents a first-of-its-kind effort in Wisconsin. While similar approaches have been used in other sectors, it’s never been applied to ECE. By using data from multiple partners, the project will develop a predictive analytics model – a tool that helps identify patterns associated with ECE program closures – to better understand why programs close and help identify programs that are vulnerable to closure and may benefit from additional support.
Research Rooted in Real Experience
A key component of the project will involve listening directly to child care owners and directors. Through a series of focus groups and interviews, the project team will gather perspectives from early educators who are currently operating programs, providers whose programs have closed and individuals working to open new programs. Researchers will also engage licensors, coaches and other early childhood professionals to better understand the patterns they observe and the supports that can make the greatest difference.
“The insights we gather from these focus groups will help us understand not only what is happening in the ECE sector, but why,” shared Samantha Reynoso, Milwaukee Succeeds’ research and evaluation manager. "That perspective is essential to making sure the solutions we develop reflect the real experiences of our child care programs."
Thanks to the project's diverse group of partners, Milwaukee Succeeds will also be able to draw on expertise from across Wisconsin's child care sector. By combining the experiences of early educators with insights and information from organizations that support, regulate and work alongside them every day, the project will create a more complete picture of what helps programs succeed and what challenges put them at risk. Those findings will help lay the groundwork for proactive solutions, supporting programs before the threat of closure can become a reality.
“We are taking a Public Health 3.0 approach, which is all about collaborating with multiple partners and ensuring the results are effectively communicated throughout the state,” explained David Nelson, an MCW faculty members and co-lead on the project.
Building a Stronger Child Care System
The goal isn't just to better understand the challenges facing child care programs, but to use those insights to strengthen and stabilize the sector. Findings from the project will be instrumental in future advocacy efforts – particularly during the 2029-31 state budget discussions – bolstering our evidence-based calls for change. Project partners will also use the findings to identify practical ways to better support child care programs in real time, whether through training, technical assistance or targeted funding.
The work that takes place over the next two years reflects a broader effort to better understand and respond to the needs of our child care programs. We’re not just striving for stopgap solutions – we’re building a future where providers can live without the fear of closure, where families can work without worry, and where children can find the support they need to flourish.