January 2024 Luncheon | Virtual Only “Just Be A Stay At Home Mom”: Gender and Equity Challenges in Child Care and a Vision for the Future

Tuesday, January 9 | The Madison Club

Due to inclement weather, the luncheon will be virtual for January. 

Livestream and Program:  12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. 

Join us VIRTUALLY on Tuesday, January 9 for a presentation by Ruth Schmidt, executive director of the Wisconsin Early Childhood Association.  

Wisconsin’s women’s labor force participation has dropped to historically low rates last seen in the 1980s – meanwhile, mothers of Wisconsin babies work at a much higher rate than the national average. At the same time, the early childhood workforce, made up almost entirely of women, is challenged by unlivable wages and benefits while doing some of society’s most important work. This makes affordable, accessible child care critical for healthy families and particularly working women in Wisconsin. Wisconsin Early Childhood Association Executive Director Ruth Schmidt will provide an overview of the state’s child care landscape, considerations of gender and race, opportunities for business and community leader participation in advocacy efforts, and a vision for the future where early childhood is viewed as a public good worthy of an investment of state revenue.

About Ruth Schmidt: Ruth Schmidt is a respected early care and education leader on the local, state, and national levels and a champion for advancing policy that recognizes child care as a public good worthy of long-term public financing. She joined Wisconsin Early Childhood Association in 2002, bringing with her extensive executive leadership experiences and connections across a variety of sectors. Ruth works to maintain and grow WECA’s relationships with the early childhood community, economic and workforce development, local governments, philanthropy, community partners, and policymakers. This continues to advance the vision of a transformed system of care in Wisconsin that supports the early childhood workforce, young children, families, and livable communities.