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Childcare discussed at community roundtable

June 25, 2026  | 
Leader-Telegram

During a community roundtable Thursday, Democratic representatives, community members and childcare professionals talked about many of the challenges facing childcare. The discussion was led by Sen. Jeff Smith (D-Brunswick) and State Democratic Leader Dianne Hesselbein (D-Middleton) while visiting Eau Claire.

During the beginning of the discussion, childcare business owners and professionals working within the industry talked about the challenges faced in retaining workers and continuing to find employees who can help offer quality services. One speaker said the loss of an adult in a child’s life is a grief moment, and moments like those have the potential to stay with someone into school and early adulthood.

Renee Ernsting, director of Western Dairyland's Child Care Partnership (CCP), said, “The biggest challenge that we’re facing right now is the low wages, which then makes it that we have to hire constantly because people are not staying in the positions. And so, therefore we have this instability for children. We’re super concerned about the mental health implications of having people coming in and out of children’s lives on a regular basis. “Those low wages are just pushing so many problems to all of the communities really in the western Wisconsin.”

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