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History & Vision

We believe in a Wisconsin where children and families have the social, emotional and economic supports they need to thrive. Together, we will advocate for a Wisconsin where the health, safety and optimal development of our children is an unwavering priority – the foundation of a promising future.

 

Accordingly, Raising Wisconsin’s multi-sector coalition is working to ensure every family with young children has the resources they need to access affordable, high-quality, culturally and linguistically responsive child care and the tools they need to support optimal health and well-being. These efforts place importance on closing the rural, urban, and suburban divides in addition to the racial, ethnic, and linguistic divides experienced across the state.

Led by the Wisconsin Early Childhood Association,

Raising Wisconsin began in 2019 as the Wisconsin Infant Toddler Policy Project (WITPP), a multi-sector collaborative effort working to create transformational change for our state’s child care system and optimal child health and well-being with a focus on the needs of Wisconsin’s infants and toddlers.

The WITPP State Collaborative Team was strategically organized to bring together perspectives and experiences representing healthcare, faith-based organizations, community action partners, philanthropy, Tribal communities, Latino/a communities, African American communities, municipal and county associations, United Ways, state government, early care and education programs, and statewide early childhood organizations.

Importantly, WITPP

successfully advocated for state policy and budget accomplishments, including increasing the Wisconsin Shares Child Care Subsidy reimbursement rates, expanding funding for Reach Out and Read Wisconsin, and continuing to keep the needs of Wisconsin’s families a central focus throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Raising Wisconsin is building on

WITPP’s success as it continues the push for long-term, impactful policy solutions with a unifying vision: to create a Wisconsin where all young children have the strongest possible start to their lives and begin their path to a thriving future.