The Parenting Place’s Michelle Sampson joins, as the organization receives a second year of $400,000 from the City of La Crosse’ ARPA funding to help with the childcare crisis. The nonprofit organization identified what’s pulling workers from centers - leaving many without care for their children so they, in turn, can work. The shortage began as the number of licensed childcare providers decreased steeply around 2015. Then the tight labor market pulled employees away.

As you’ll hear in the podcast:

• the business model is tough for child care centers
• Regulation costs money
• La Crosse’s costs are much lower than true costs
• This is reflected in wages
• Employees feel undervalued