http://newiprogressive.com/images/stories/S5/childcare-s451.jpgGovernor celebrates launch of Wisconsin’s first-ever entirely state-funded child care program to provide direct payments to providers, free programming for families to get kids ready for school.

MADISON — Gov. Evers today delivered his weekly radio address celebrating the launch of the state’s first-ever entirely state-funded child care program,“Get Kids Ready,”which is free for families and will provide $65 million in direct payments to child care providers who are providing school readiness programming to four-year-olds during the 2026-27 school year and in subsequent years. This investment was made possible through the more than $360 million investment that Gov. Evers fought for and secured in the 2025-27 Biennial Budget to help stabilize Wisconsin’s child care industry, bolster child care providers, and lower the cost of child care for working families.

As part of the $360 million in child care investments Gov. Evers secured in the 2025-27 Biennial Budget, the “Get Kids Ready” initiative is the first-ever entirely state-funded child care program in Wisconsin state history and will support child care providers serving four-year-olds to help prepare Wisconsin’s kids for kindergarten and get an earlier jump start on learning at a critical time in development. According to the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families (DCF), through Get Kids Ready, qualified child care providers will focus on developing the academic, physical, social-emotional, and self-help skills that kids need to succeed in school. The state pays child care providers for the time kids spend in Get Kids Ready programming, making that part of the day free for families.

In addition, the new, first-of-its-kind program in Wisconsin is also designed to help ensure the state’s child care industry will receive sustainable, ongoing state investments into the future.

Wisconsin child care providers who wish to participate in the 2026-27 school year will need to submit an Intent to Participate in Get Kids Ready by Feb. 1, 2026. Child care providers can find more information on how to apply, the verification process, and important dates on DCF’s Get Kids Ready for Providers webpage.

A list of all child care providers that intend to participate in “Get Kids Ready” will be posted on DCF’s public website by Feb. 15, 2026. Families with children who will be fouryears old on or before Sept. 1, 2026, and are interested in having their child participate in “Get Kids Ready” are encouraged to visit DCF’s Get Kids Ready for Parents and Caregivers webpage for more information on the program and application process.

Audio File of Radio Address.

Hey there, folks. Governor Tony Evers here.

I’ve spent my entire career fighting for Wisconsin kids because I’ve always believed that what’s best for kids is what’s best for our state.

That’s why I declared 2025 the Year of the Kid in Wisconsin, and I was proud of all we were able to accomplish to do what’s best for our kids and the families and communities that raise them.

Thanks to the investments I fought hard to secure in our bipartisan, pro-kid budget, we’re helping to stabilize our child care industry, support child care providers, and make child care more affordable and accessible for working families now and into the future.

As part of our budget, we created our state’s first-ever fully state-funded child care program, called Get Kids Ready.

Get Kids Ready provides direct payments to our child care providers to help get four-year-olds ready for school, and providers can now apply to get enrolled for the 2026 school year at no cost.

Here’s how it works: through Get Kids Ready, qualified child care providers will focus on developing the academic, physical, social-emotional, and self-help skills that kids need to succeed in school.

And in return, the state pays child care providers directly for the time kids spend in Get Kids Ready programming, making that part of the day free for families.

I’m incredibly proud of our work to get this program up and running so that we can continue to support Wisconsin’s child care providers and help get kids a head start for their education.

Folks, just because the Year of the Kid is over doesn’t mean our work is done.

We’ve got a heckuva lot more work to do to do what’s best for our kids, and we’re going to keep working together to get that done.

Thank you.