Child Care Supply and Demand Challenges in Wisconsin

Hilary Shager, Zachary Bauer, and Liesl Hostetter Institute for Research on Poverty University of Wisconsin–Madison

September 2024

Summary:

Wisconsin’s 2024 Child Care Supply and Demand study reveals a significant mismatch between available child care slots and family needs, driven primarily by staffing shortages. While providers reported more than 33,000 potential “unfilled spots” statewide, most were unable to enroll additional children because they lacked qualified staff. At the same time, providers reported more than 48,000 waitlist spots—especially for infant and toddler care—indicating demand far exceeds capacity. Over half of child care providers reported maintaining waitlists, and 84% received at least one weekly inquiry for openings, underscoring the pressing need for more accessible care.

Staffing challenges were the most common barrier across provider types, with over one-third of all providers—and more than half of group centers—reporting that filling vacancies had become “very” or “extremely” difficult, especially since reductions to Child Care Counts funding in 2023. These shortages have forced providers to stretch existing staff, hire less qualified employees, serve fewer children, raise tuition, and turn families away. Providers emphasized that the most critical solutions include improved staff compensation, more affordable and streamlined training, increased funding to expand capacity, adjustments to licensing rules that preserve quality, and greater access to subsidies to keep care affordable for families.

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