Gov. Evers launches childcare program that grants $110 million to providers

MADISON, Wis (CIVIC MEDIA) – Governor Tony Evers launched the Child Care Bridge Payment Program Wednesday, an initiative that will provide monthly payments for a grand sum of $110 million to Wisconsin childcare providers.

According to a news release, the payments will be made through June 2026. The formation of the program was made possible due to Gov. Evers signing the state’s biennial budget into law in early July, in which the needs of childcare were a high priority. The governor was able to secure $360 million of childcare funding in the state’s new budget as part of his “Year of the Kid” initiative.

Gov. Evers commented on the importance of the investment in a statement.

“I declared 2025 the Year of the Kid in Wisconsin, and ensuring this budget made real, meaningful investments directly in child care providers statewide was a nonnegotiable for me,” said Gov. Evers. “I’m proud our final budget makes this critical investment to continue our work to provide direct support to our state’s child care professionals who go above and beyond to ensure our kids have the high-quality care they need and deserve. I want to thank the folks at DCF for their hard work to get this program up and running to avoid any gaps in payments and ensure providers continue to receive this critical support without delay, and I look forward to continuing our work together to support child care providers statewide, to lower child care costs for working families, and to do what’s best for our kids.”

The initial window for Wisconsin childcare providers to apply for the program opens Saturday, July 26 and closes Sunday, August 3. The payments will begin in mid-August. Providers can learn how to apply at the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families’ website.

The Child Care Bridge Payment Program bears resemblance to the governor’s Child Care Counts Program – an effort launched in 2020 that maintains the similar goal of keeping childcare services available to families in need.

Read Civic Media’s coverage of what Gov. Evers included in the budget here.