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Child Care & Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Lynn Edlefson, Campus Child Care Coordinator WISELI Symposium ~ Child Care on the UW-Madison Campus: Past, Present, Future 9 March 2005 Slide 2 World Class University Since the 1970s, UW Campus has acknowledged the importance of child care to support teaching, research and outreach efforts. Whats our progress? Nationally, 80% of women are working; are consistently more concerned with child care resources than their male counterparts; and disproportionately leak out of the academic pipeline: Before they begin their careers; women PhD's with young children and married women are less likely than all other doctoral recipients to enter tenure track positions; diminishing the overall pool of qualified candidates. At the Assistant Professor Level: Tenure-track women, regardless of family status, are less likely than tenure track men on a year to year basis to become tenured. At UW, overall increase in women obtaining tenure (from 30 yrs ago) BUT still are many more women who enter the tenure track and drop out and an increase in the number of part time or non-tt positions. Who's is making the decision? Our estimates show that faculty at UW-Madison produce or adopt approximately 61 children per year. I might have to wait until preschool for child care! Slide 3 Priorities Provide child care and education of the highest quality Assure that child care and education programs remain accessible and affordable Address work-life needs of student, faculty and staff families Fulfill and integrate institutional research, teaching, outreach and service missions Build partnerships and provide leadership to improve the lives of children and families in our community Slide 4 Community Context Rapid population growth in Dane County & Madison Madison residents, 2025: >255,000 Dane County children, 2030: age 0-4: projected growth 49.5%, +12,781 children age 5-9: projected growth 39.1%, +10,442 children Dual career families in Dane County: ~72% (~60% nationally) Family child care system under stress (1996-2002: state-licensed 57%, provisionally certified +58%) Infant care: not enough spaces, soaring costs Corporate responses (Meriter & St. Marys Hospitals, Promega) Slide 5 Campus Context 8 centers serving approximately 500 children each week (capacity: in 1988, ~150 FTE; in 2005, 376 FTE) flexible scheduling, part time hours (late 1980s) Expansions at Eagles Wing and Waisman Center (2000) that doubled capacity in each site and lowered age range served. Infant care (1999, 2000, 2002) A Family Childcare Training At Eagle Heights since 2001; supporting in-home care at Eagle Heights. After school programming for school-aged children (Eagles Wing) Sick child care Faculty & staff: lost (Meriters Ginger Ail program closed 2003) CCTAP students: in-home, Interim Home Health Care contract Slide 6 Multiple Missions Research ~20-30 research projects each year Pre-service training (teacher training) ~110 student teachers certified each year Outreach- Partnerships Odyssey Project helps 60 low-income parents return to school Summer Institute trains 150 community preschool teachers Supporting families ~500 children enrolled in campus centers ~50 family education and support events offered each year ~$750,000 Child Care Tuition Assistance Program (CCTAP) New Initiative: $2,000 -- Classified Staff Scholarships Private foundation accounts to support project development Slide 7 Community Partnerships & Contracts Bethany Methodist Church (Preschool Lab) Early Childhood Learning Center (Odyssey) UW Hospital & Clinics Dane County Parent Council Head Start Satellite Family Child Care Interim Home Health Inc. Madison Area Association of Accredited Early Care and Education Programs We Keep Trying! Madison Metropolitan School District 4-K Slide 8 Current Sites Slide 9 Who do we Serve? AgeCurrent FTE Infants (6 weeks-1 year) 15.5 Toddlers (1-2 years) 28.5 Toddler/Preschool (2-3, 3-5 years) 64 + 223 = 287 After School (6-12 years) 26 TOTAL FTE357 Slide 10 Who do we Serve? Children ofCurrent FTE Faculty90 Academic Staff59 Classified Staff5 Students111 Community34 (21 at Waisman) Slide 11 Family Needs Preschool programs Infant and toddler programs Sick child care Evening care Back-up care Summer school programs (5-12 years) Conference care Slide 12 WISELI Results: Women faculty rate almost all childcare issues as higher priority than do male faculty Parents of school-aged children who use the UW-Madison childcare centers are significantly more likely to say they are Very Satisfied with their childcare than parents not using these centers (80.0% vs. 44.2%) Care for school aged children after school or during the summer was by far the biggest priority of faculty71.7% overall (81% women faculty) rated this as High or Quite a priority. Childcare when your child is sick, and back-up or drop-in care when your usual childcare arrangements do not work are the next highest childcare priorities for faculty with school- aged children Faculty in Humanities departments, single parents, and faculty of color appear to be the most concerned about the costs of childcare Parents of very young children reported: those who were most dissatisfied with their arrangements are those who bring care providers into their own homes. The number one priority of these parents is the availability of infant/toddler care (84.6%); followed by availability of campus childcare and back-up or drop-in care when your usual childcare arrangements do not work (73.1% for both issues.) Slide 13 Plan to Building Capacity Campus Child Care Centers Family Care Network Slide 14 Planned Changes Linden Preschool Laboratory expansion planned for 07-09, pending fundraising efforts. Bernies Placeneeds to relocate due to new education arts building UW Infant/Toddler Programwould like to relocate and fold into a larger program with better space Slide 15 Campus Opportunities for Growth East campus: Working with Campus Planning to identify a primary site for east campus, possibly: Arts & Humanities District (East Campus, Phase II) Art Facility-Education Research Center (East Campus, Phase II) Central campus Institute of Discovery Rust- Shriner (Across Dayton Street) Potential to replace Bernies and Infant Toddler Center West campus School of Nursing 1552 University Avenue (University Health Services current site) Slide 16 Center Serving 52-60 children Square footage: 8150 -10,000 sq. ft. Green space (playground): 2750 sq. ft. Estimated capital cost: Construction cost: $1,255,100 Total project cost: $1,687,050 Estimated operating cost: $938,410 annually; staff salary and benefits will take 94% of budget. Need $1.5 million endowment to generate $75,000 of annual operational support to decrease cost of care; 20 families a year might receive $3,500 of annual support for infant care ($16,000 annually) Goal is to build central, east and possibly west child care centers. Slide 17 Additional Center-Based Services Summer school programming (6-12 years) On schedule for summer 05 to begin planning; Start up teacher salary for 6 months ($20,000) based on $28,000 annually plus benefits. Will require space on campus (where?) Start up equipment costs from $5,000-$15,000 Back-up care (for larger groups of children) will require lease space with private community centers and teacher cost. Seems cost prohibitive to provide on campus; (see below) OCCFR will explore contracting with After School Inc. for faculty and staff who do not utilize their after school programs. Conference care (summer months only) Takes two staff for every 8 infants, 14 preschoolers and 36 school-agers for an estimated cost (per group/per month) of $15,000 (Includes salary/ benefits for one teacher and one student hourly or LTE per group) Space constraints until new buildings come on line. Slide 18 Off Campus Expansions Allied Drive Current planning with Head Start, City of Madison and UW to create an economically integrated child care program for 80 children Start up costs $265,000 Building costs $1.1 million Annual operational subsidy $35,000-75,000 depending on mix of children Research Part II Located on far west side on Junction Road Seeking business partner to operate program and to build. Slide 19 In-Home Services Back-up care (for individual families) Evening care Sick child care Provided by contract with In-home providers; university could help recruit students to work for these agencies. Expand to include faculty and staff ~$100,000 annually ; staffing ($50,000) and service delivery ($50,000) Family child care network Cost approximately $5,000 per family child care home for help with start-up and accreditation. Slide 20 Programs that would be great to add. More parent education and support Health & wellness focus Life-span issues Relocation assistance Slide 21 Lets sum up the issues Capacity: On-campus wait lists for infant care are overwhelming No vacant spaces to provide back up care No sick child care for faculty parents Diversity: Socio-economic & cultural diversity enhances overall mission for teaching, research, & outreach Provides model programming for young children which will parallel their school environments Affordability: Cost containment, especially for students and classified staff Flexible services ( back-up, flex schedules, part time, etc.) are employee benefits but increase administrative & operational costs. work./family balance: Child care is only part of the solution; the balance of the child and child care staff is also at risk without policy changes that help families. Slide 22 How can you help? Continue to advocate for the issue with department chairs and administrators; help them to see that child care is a benefit to recruitment efforts and effective workers. Participate in the campus planning exercise make sure to have your comments heard! Go to http://www.uc.wisc.edu/masterplan/ to provide feedback. http://www.uc.wisc.edu/masterplan/ Participate in fundraising: potential donors for projects, how about ongoing payroll deduction, attend events! Resources are always needed. Luthers June 16, 2005 Slide 23 Thank you! Song, artist UW Infant/Toddler Program, 1999 Lynn Edlefson Director Office of Child Care & Family Resources Eagle Heights Community Center 262-9715 lynn.edlefson@housing.wisc.edu