WISCONSIN — The average annual cost of child care in Wisconsin can be more expensive than college, according to the latest Wisconsin Policy Forum report.

What You Need To Know

• Annual costs for child care in Wisconsin can be more expensive than college


• Data from the Department of Children and Families’ 2022 Child Care Market Rate Survey showed that in Milwaukee County, the average annual child care cost for a 4-year-old is $12,142


• These costs exceed federal recommendations, which state that no more than 7% of a household’s income should go toward child care


• Gov. Tony Evers, during his latest budget address, called for $104 million toward child care programs

Data from the Department of Children and Families’ 2022 Child Care Market Rate Survey showed that in Milwaukee County, the average annual child care cost for a 4-year-old is $12,142; for an infant, it’s $16,236.

Comparably, the annual tuition cost at the University of Wisconsin-Madison from 2022 to 2023 was $9,273.

These child care costs exceed federal recommendations, which state that no more than 7% of a household’s income should go toward care.

In Milwaukee County, 22.2% of the 2021 annual median household income went toward care for a four-year-old. That percentage is even higher for care of an infant.

Even though Wisconsin provides supports for qualifying families to help cover a portion of their cost, officials found that still wasn’t enough.

For example, the report looked at a Milwaukee County family with...

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