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Change Management, Relationships,
and Innovation to Support
Early Care and Education
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When Wisconsin finally throws off winter’s cold grasp (and this takes a while!), we welcome the blooming of spring and all the signs of new growth. Like the seasons, change is a constant at the Wisconsin Early Education Shared Services Network (WEESSN). This fall, through the generosity of the Department of Children and Families, WEESSN launched services statewide in a three-tiered, duo-lingual (English and Spanish) system. We are actively reaching out to family child care and center-based providers, with a goal of serving a total of 3,000 providers across the three service tiers. This is a bold initiative to bring valuable resources and support to help stabilize the industry. As of April 15th, WEESSN has approximately 1,325 providers on board, including 1,037 in Tier 1, 95 in Tier 2, and 193 in Tier 3. Tiers 1 and 2 are available virtually across the entire state, and Tier 3 services currently are focused on 20 counties in southern Wisconsin. | |
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Change within WEESSN is necessary because the field of early care and education (ECE) continues to change. Even without the uncertainty of a global pandemic, child care providers are faced with numerous adjustments, requirements, and shifting priorities. By listening to provider voices, WEESSN adapts and evolves to provide the assistance most needed by the ECE community.
This is another constant at WEESSN: Relationship-based work. It is how WEESSN got started, and it is the mode we are dedicated to continuing. Born out of deep community conversations and collaboration, community organizing continues to be central to our work. Wisconsin has child care champions across the state who have sought out WEESSN services. Meet a few of our longstanding community supporters:
- Marianne Torkelson is chair of the Jackson County Child Care Network, which brings businesses, elected officials, community members and child care providers together to grow care capacity in their region. The Child Care Network wrote and won a Preschool Development Grant to bring WEESSN services to their region in 2020. With strong local support, the network was ready to act when local American Rescue Plan Act dollars became available, and quickly mobilized to put together a proposal for wage stipends for the ECE workforce for approval by the county.
- Tina Crave is President and CEO of the Greater Watertown Community Health Foundation (GWCHF). GWCHF takes its lead from child care providers in the community and has been instrumental in bringing Pyramid Model coaching and mentoring to ECE programs in the area. GWCHF partnered with WEESSN to bring Tier 3 services to the region and provide start-up coaching to local groups looking to open child care programs. GWCHF has a bold vision for the future that includes family support and business engagement.
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In addition to our community partners, WEESSN also works in collaboration with the Innovation Council, a multi-sector group of changemakers – the bright stars in multiple industries inspired to reimagine and refine the best ways to advance our common goals. The Innovation Council members are:
- Grace Reef, Founder & Director at Early Learning Policy Group, LLC
- Jen Bailey, Executive Director at Reach Dane
- Judy Williams, Executive Director at Early Learning Ventures
- Laura Dresser, Clinical Assistant Professor, Associate Director at Center on Wisconsin Strategy (COWS)
- Lynn Debilzen, Director of Impact & Strategy at Building Our Future
- Matt Kalua, Payments Consultant, Payroc Partner
- Mary Beth Collins, Executive Director at the Center for Community and Nonprofit Studies
- Mary Beth Salomone Testa, Consultant at MBST Solutions, LLC
- Stephanie Lozano, Tribal Liaison at Wisconsin Department of Children and Families
- Stuart Hee, Operations Director at Center for Community Stewardship
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WEESSN’s most important relationships continue to be with ECE providers. This spring, WEESSN formalized the Voices of Providers group (VoP). This group includes family child care providers and center-based directors from all three membership tiers of WEESSN who represent all five licensing regions of the state. VoP members are compensated for their time spent reflecting on WEESSN programming, vetting ideas brought about by the Innovation Council and pushing WEESSN to continue to meet the challenges of the field. VoP members are smart, seasoned, passionate and diverse. We integrate and amplify their voices in our work. VoP members are:
- Betsy Westlund, Saplings
- Jennifer Leask, Red Cliff Early Childhood Center
- Emily Payette, Auntie M's Child Care Center
- Tammie LaCount, Country Kids Family Day Care
- Angie Sailing, Tigers Corner Daycare LLC
- Brenda Fritz, Little Vikings
- Ruby Grisby, Grisby’s Child Development Center
- Tashawna Green, Train Up a Child Learning Center
- Lesa Perry, Perry's Playhouse
- Kim Gorka, Children's Palace
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With strong relationships driving progress, WEESSN will continue to innovate and provide deeper levels of programming in 2022. Colorado-based software provider Early Learning Ventures (ELV) has worked with WEESSN to lower product and processing fees for ECE programs and will soon begin language translation so the software will be functional for Spanish-speaking child care providers and families. WEESSN meets with ELV leadership monthly to focus on the current needs of providers. | |
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In late 2021, WEESSN hired a food systems coordinator to deepen our Farm to ECE work. This year, WEESSN will pilot a project called Ps in a Pod, connecting child care providers to regional food producers with financial support to purchase fresh foods from local farmers. Additionally, providers can apply for supplementary grants to purchase equipment to make processing easier. Some members of the WEESSN team will be volunteering at the Victory Garden Blitz Initiative in Milwaukee to build raised beds for those interested in gardening. Eleven WEESSN providers will receive raised beds through this project and five more will receive vertical garden systems. Additionally, to promote awareness and understanding for the children, WEESSN provides classroom materials that specifically support experiential education related to Farm to ECE concepts (materials focused on math and science, creative arts, and literacy).
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Lastly, WEESSN seeks to develop new services to meet the needs of the ECE workforce, including an employee assistance program, deeper business and tax resources and mental health support. WEESSN is not a cure-all. There are problems we can’t solve today. But we are better prepared today to tackle challenges than we were in 2019. Doing this work together means we are well informed in our actions and well-positioned to support the vital efforts of the early care and education community. | WEESSN in the National Spotlight | |
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When Opportunities Exchange planned its 2022 conference in Austin, Texas, this April, it reached out to Wisconsin Early Childhood Association (WECA) to connect with WEESSN Co-Directors Kelly Matthews and Paula Drew to share the Network's story. The presentation, “Going Big in Wisconsin: Building Shared Services Statewide,” walked attendees through WEESSN’s early days, the community support and collaboration that fostered its launch, and its relationship-based model for providing shared services.
“Having attended this conference several years ago, when WEESSN was just a vision of what could be, it was rewarding to be able to share our story. Attendees learned a lot and we got to further deepen the relationships that helped see us this far,” said Kelly Matthews, WEESSN Co-Director.
WEESSN is viewed as an innovator in providing child care programs with technical assistance, automation and sustainability services to increase efficiency and save them time and money. A total of eight WEESSN staff attended the conference, and everyone benefited from the connections made in the vanguard of the evolving ECE shared services movement.
“We are coming back from Austin energized and inspired. Connecting with our colleagues, sharing our story and learning from leaders like Rhian Evans (NAEYC) and Louise Stoney (Opportunity Exchange) was an incredible gift,” said Paula Drew, WEESSN Co-Director.
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In Their Words: What Providers are Saying About WEESSN | |
“WEESSN gives you the opportunity to be a part of something bigger. They provide updated information about what is happening in the world of early childhood education. Along with organized resources and dedicated staff, they will help you find the information you are looking for at the click of a mouse! WEESSN is definitely a time saver, and I would recommend it to anyone in the early childhood field!”
Tracy Jensen, Program Coordinator
Sunny Day Child Care, Waupaca, WI
“We are just getting started with WEESSN, but we are so excited with all of the resources we now have available to us! Our coach has been so helpful for us already! She told us how to post job openings on Aquire4Hire, which is an awesome resource, since finding staff has been such a challenge. ELV software that is available is so comprehensive and really streamlines things on the administrative side which is amazing! We are excited for our new relationship with WEESSN and look forward to the many opportunities they have to offer!”
Group Center Director
Jefferson County
“I am beyond thankful for and excited about the Tiered Services offered through WEESSN! I have already utilized the coaching and trainings and look forward to utilizing more. As business professionals in a field that is very different than other small businesses, the resources have been so limited. I wish this was available 15 years ago when I was expanding to a group center.”
Courtney Hoffmann, Owner/Administrator
Kids First Preschool & Child Care, Poynette, WI
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WECA 2021 Annual Report
Wisconsin Early Childhood Association’s 2021 Annual Report is now available! Read it to review key highlights and program insights that illustrate WECA’s continued impact across the state. The report also provides a window into our vision for a powerful future in early care and education (ECE) and for the early childhood workforce. Check out the full report here.
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Explore everything WECA has to offer! | | | | |
