Child Care Selected by Families in the Wisconsin Shares Child Care Subsidy Program

Abstract

As part of its technical assistance work for Milwaukee County, the Employment and Training Institute examines the participation in the child care subsidy program (Wisconsin Shares) by type of care used, the age of children in care, and residence of the family. In Milwaukee County, families may choose among six types of child care: group care centers licensed by the state to serve 9 or more children; family centers licensed by the state to serve 4-8 children; regular and provisionally certified family care certified by Milwaukee County to care for children in their home; school-age programs operated by Milwaukee Public Schools; and programs operated by the Boys and Girls Clubs. Participation in the child care subsidy program was examined for the week of April 23, 2006, as a typical week during the school year when no school holidays were scheduled. That week a total of 23,033 Milwaukee County children were receiving subsidized child care.