Gov. Tony Evers and the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families announced the launch of the state’s first-ever entirely state-funded child care program, “Get Kids Ready,” on Tuesday.
The program is free and will provide $65 million in direct payments to child care providers who provide school readiness programming to 4-year-olds during the 2026-2027 school year and in subsequent years.
“Thanks to the investments I fought hard to secure in the bipartisan, pro-kid budget I signed last summer, 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 — and our new Get Kids Ready program is a critical part of our work to do just that,” Evers said in a statement.
Evers secured $360 million in child care investments in the 2025-2027 biennial budget.
According to DCF, through Get Kids Ready, qualified child care providers will focus on developing the academic, physical, social-emotional and self-help skills kids need to succeed in school.
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.
Families with children who will be 4 years old on or before Sept. 1, 2026, can visit DCF’s Get Kids Ready for Parents and Caregivers webpage for more information on the program and application process.
