At Achieve Brown County, we know that the challenges families face are complex. Child care access, workforce participation, housing stability, and early literacy are deeply connected.
No single organization or system can solve these issues alone. Progress happens when partners come together. That belief is at the center of our Childcare focused policy work and our partnership with the Wisconsin Early Childhood Association (WECA)
The Challenge We Cannot Ignore
Across Wisconsin, families are facing a child care paradox:
- Thousands of licensed child care slots sit empty
- Programs cannot hire or retain enough early childhood educators
- Families still cannot find affordable, reliable care
Recent reporting shows that staffing shortages are the primary barrier preventing child care programs from serving more children. Learn More: Child care slots in Wisconsin sit vacant as programs struggle to hire teachers
Women are leaving the workforce at record rates. Mothers are being forced to make impossible choices between employment and care giving. They do not want to step away from work, but the system is not built to support them.
More than 455,000 women exited the U.S. workforce between January and August of 2025. Of those, 58% of women leaving the workforce decided to give up their jobs.
But Why? For many women, the combination of limited workplace flexibility and the high cost of child care made staying in the workforce unsustainable. Learn more: Women exiting the workforce at record pace
In Brown County, housing and child care remain two of the biggest barriers to workforce participation. Mothers are leaving jobs not by choice, but because the system is not designed to support them.
Why Partnership Matters
This is where partnership matters.
Julie Stoffel, Director of Community Engagement & Outreach at WECA, has been a key collaborator in advancing this work locally and statewide.
Julie has been instrumental in helping elevate a critical voice that is often missing from child care conversations: the business and economic perspective.
Child care is not just a family issue or an education issue. It is a workforce issue.”
Julie has also reflected on why she partners so closely with Achieve Brown County.
“Achieve Brown County has an incredible ability to bring people from all avenues together and create space for action on serious topics.”
At Achieve Brown County, we do not claim to be the experts in every area. Instead, we create space for the experts to come together, learn from one another, and move forward collectively.
A Community Effort
Julie’s first experience at our Early Literacy Convening reflected what this work is about. The Early Literacy Convening invites parents, teachers, administrators, policy makers, nonprofit advocates, and business leaders to the same table to discuss early literacy needs in Brown County.
Together, we all review local data, hear sector updates, and align actions so every child in Brown County is reading at grade level by the end of third grade.
When Julie first arrived at the Early Literacy Convening event she felt a sense of community and support. She says,
“It did not feel like networking. It felt like action, inclusion, openness, and care.”
Just like childcare, early literacy is a complex issue and is not one person’s responsibility. Our goal is to have people willing to action together.
Moving Policy Conversations Into Action
Our community recognized the need for collaboration. Julie, from WECA, and Sarah Inman from Brown County United Way took action. They came together to help plan a Childcare Business Breakfast with Achieve Brown County.
The goal of the Childcare Business Breakfast:
- Engage Employers in conversations around child care access
- Connect child care challenges to workforce retention & talent attraction
- Build a shared understanding between business leaders, community partners, and policymakers
Why This Work Matters
Child care is a bridge that holds up a healthy and prosperous community.
When families have access to quality care…
- children thrive
- parents can participate in the workforce
- communities grow stronger
The data is clear, but data alone is not enough. It takes relationships, trust, and collaboration to turn insight into action.
Do You Want to Take Action?
This is the work that often happens behind the scenes, but its impact is felt across generations. It is also the work that community support makes possible.
If you feel that your voice and expertise can impact this work, sign up to be a volunteer. Help ensure all young people have the opportunity to thrive.