In Wisconsin, Republican members of the Legislature’s budget committee voted to defund Child Care Counts, a pandemic-era child care subsidy program. This program had distributed hundreds of millions of dollars in federal support to child care providers across the state, helping to subsidize provider wages and maintain costs for parents. Despite a proposal to make the program permanent and a record state government surplus, Republicans did not address the removal of funding during debate. However, they indicated working on additional legislation to help open more child care centers and set aside funds for a potential revolving loan fund for child care providers, as well as increased funding for Boys and Girls Clubs and foster care rates​​. (Wisconsin Public Radio)

Regarding education and services for children, the House Republican 2024 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education bill proposed significant cuts, including reducing Head Start services for 51,000 children, eliminating Federal Work Study for 659,000 students, and denying job training and employment services for hundreds of thousands of people. This bill would also result in the removal of 224,000 teachers from classrooms and eliminate federal support for vital academic services for 5.1 million English learners. It would take away need-based financial aid for 1.7 million students and deny job training and employment services for 126,000 youth and 294,000 adults facing barriers to finding a good paying job​​. (Democrats Appropriations Committee)

In terms of general education policies, there are notable partisan divides. Many Republicans have sought to limit discussion of gender identity and race in schools, while a majority view K-12 schools as having a negative effect on the country. Republican lawmakers have scrutinized the Department of Education’s priorities, particularly regarding transgender students’ participation in sports and the teaching of race-related concepts. There is also a significant divide in the opinion of teachers’ unions between Republicans and Democrats. Additionally, Republican and Democratic parents differ in their views on the influence of governments, school boards, and others on K-12 school teachings, with topics like slavery, gender identity, and religion in schools being particularly contentious​​​​​​​​. (Pew Research Center)