Wisconsin Early Childhood Association

By: Home Grown

A young boy hugs a teacher while another child plays with magnetic letters in a classroom.

COVID-19 Impact

Milwaukee children, especially children of color and children from low-income and impoverished communities, are safe, cared for, and supported academically, socially, and developmentally during and beyond this public health crisis. When more Milwaukee parents begin going back to work, they have access to child care.

Emergency Fund

The Home Grown Child Care Emergency Fund was complemented by funding from the Greater Milwaukee Foundation in the amount of $250,000. Collectively, the Wisconsin Early Childhood Association awarded $350,000 to 140 licensed child care providers in the lowest income neighborhoods of Milwaukee. Specifically, grant awards in the amount of $2,500 were provided to 90 home-based providers and 50 group centers within the five target zip codes serving the highest concentrations of Black and Latinx children.

Green letter "G" with a bold, stylized "H" shape inside it on a transparent background.

Home Grown

Home Grown is a national collaborative of funders committed to improving the quality of and access to home-based child care with a mission to increase access to and the quality of home-based child care. 

A woman and three children sit together on outdoor steps in front of a brick house on a sunny day.

A Legacy of Care: Women, History, and the Path to Universal Child Care

Blog_English
Women’s contributions and experiences are not well represented in the record books, but it is just as rich and worth celebrating. Ours is a tale of community, resilience, and connection to one another, and it is inextricably linked with care work. 
Read More
Woman in a floral shirt stands smiling with arms crossed in a colorful, cluttered home office space.

Shaping a Sustainable Future: Celebrating Women’s History Month and the Value of Home-Based Child Care

Blog_English
During Women’s History Month, we celebrate the contributions that women have made to every corner of our society and honor their achievements. Among these leaders are the more than 5 million women who form the backbone of home-based child care (HBCC).
Read More
Adult and child smiling and hugging closely in a warm, joyful moment in a cozy room with bookshelves behind them.

Black History Month and the Enduring Legacy of Community Care

Blog_English
For generations, Black home-based child care providers have built systems of care rooted in community, trust, and resilience, often stepping in where formal systems fell short. Of the over 5 million home-based child care providers, including Family Child Care providers and paid and unpaid Family Friend and Neighbor caregivers, roughly a quarter in each subgroup identify as Black Non-Hispanic
Read More