State funding cuts could threaten child care services in Dodge Co.

DODGE COUNTY, Wis. (WMTV) - Concern is growing in the Dodge County community as state child care funding is set to expire this June, leaving families and businesses facing a potential crisis.

Parents in Beaver Dam say securing reliable, affordable child care has always been a challenge, and with the end of the Child Care Counts: Stabilization Payment Program, the problem could worsen.

“It was a big decision when I was coming back from maternity leave,” one local parent explained. “I wanted to find a provider I trusted so I could bring my whole authentic self to work, without worrying about what was happening with my kiddos behind the scenes.”

But state funding is dwindling, and the payment program is scheduled to end on June 30. Local child care providers, including the YMCA of Dodge County, are sounding the alarm.

“I can tell you that individual childcare centers are going to go down because of it,” said Dirk Langfoss, CEO of the YMCA. “The families that we serve, their credit cards are tapped. Adding a 30% increase will force many families into some very difficult situations.”

Langfoss says child care costs have already increased 82% since 2022.

“We have always tried to help middle class families, working families, and it’s going to be very difficult to be able to do that,” he said. “And there’s a stat that came out in 2024 is that 134,000 middle class families were forced into poverty because of childcare costs and that’s nationwide, and I hope that there will be a plan that would be put together so that child care can continue to be in our communities throughout the state of Wisconsin.”

The loss of funding could also have a big impact on local businesses.

“Ultimately, we need to make sure that they have the childcare they need so that they can come to work and put their best foot forward,” said Kayla Ebert, senior talent development manager at Fincantieri Marine Group. “They’re not going to be able to focus on what they’re doing, and not only work-wise are we going to see an impact in their productivity, but we’re also going to see that impact in their mental health.”

For many rural Wisconsinites, the cuts could force difficult decisions about family planning and career choices.

“I think this is going to force a lot of families into the decision of family planning. Can we afford to have more kids or not?” one parent asked. “It will also force families to have the conversation of should we both keep working, or does one of us need to quit due to if there’s an increase in costs because of this funding being cut?”

In response to the potential cuts, community leaders gathered in Beaver Dam on Wednesday to raise awareness about the looming issue.

“What we saw at the meeting was the employers that were there, most of were stunned that this was an issue,” said Mary Vogl-Rauscher, officer with Dodge County SHRM. “Most of them were totally unaware of it. Most of them were totally saying, ‘yep, we need to do something because we have a hard enough time staffing, let alone if this ends up happening because employees will quit.’”

They are encouraging local residents to contact their state legislators and push for continued support to ensure that child care remains accessible and affordable for families in Dodge County and beyond.

Click here to download the WMTV15 News app or our WMTV15 First Alert weather app.

Copyright 2025 WMTV. All rights reserved.