DCF-P-5805 (N. 09/2024)   Summary: Wisconsin’s child care system is facing a severe crisis driven by long-standing financial instability, workforce shortages, and high costs for families. Child care programs operate on razor-thin margins, leaving many classrooms empty despite growing waitlists. Providers struggle to pay competitive wages, averaging just $13.55 per hour for lead teachers compared to the state’s average wage of $28.34, and many programs lack health or reti