News & Events

Governor’s Early Childhood Advisory Council

The mission of the Council is to help ensure that all children and families in Wisconsin have access to quality early childhood programs and services.

WCCAA Individual Recognition Award Nomination

The objective of the WCCAA Individual Recognition Award is to honor an individual who has made a significant contribution to the field of early care and education in Wisconsin.  This contribution may take a variety of forms and could be in any of the following categories:

  •  Administrator. A person who has made a lasting contribution as a program administrator in Wisconsin, possibly as a long-term administrator or through some significant work for the profession.
  • Resource Person.  Any person who has strengthened the field of child care by promoting, educating, or motivating others.
  • Government/Civic.  A person, either elected or appointed, who has actively promoted quality care and education in Wisconsin.
  • Media/Communication.  An individual who has benefited our field through in-depth reporting and/or time given to promote quality care.
  • Philanthropist.  A person who has made financial contributions to child care in the form of grants, gifts, or in-kind donations.

I am nominating, Joan Beck, as WCCAA Individual Award Reciepient for 2022. As you can see from the attributes listed above, Joan meets these qualifications and more. 

I have attended Leadership and Administration Credentials with Joan and have always been impressed with her leadership skills. As an owner to a center, she is always advocating for early childhood for her program and others in the State of Wisconsin. Willing to mentor and help all of us as teachers, directors, or administrators in early childhood. I feel through her passion she has helped me in so many ways to become a stronger advocate and voice in my field. I watch and listen to how she leads WCCAA as president and it always amazes me her professionalism and strength she shows. She is mentoring in her field to everyone.

Professional Colleague ~ Linda Kudrna, WCCAA Board Director – Region 2 Representative

Professional Colleague ~ Deb Drew, WCCAA Director – Region 2 Representative

Joan has contributed much to the WCCAA organization. Her friendly demeanor has brought new members and she has connected with elected officials. In the past 4 years as WCCAA President, Joan has led the industry through the COVID Pandemic, advocated for additional funding streams, mentored new Administrators/Directors in early childhood, and built lasting relationships with the DCF Administrative Teams.

 Joan continues to advocate for sustainable funding streams that are vital for child care. She also has worked diligently to pass on her knowledge through the WCCAA Board of Directors, in which she will continue to support further advocacy efforts after her term as president is done.

 Professional Colleague ~ Dawn Justman, WCCAA Board Director – Region 8 Representative

Joan has been a leader and president of WCCAA for several years.  She has participated in many different state committees and organizations, serving as the voice of the WCCAA, making sure that those involved in the business of childcare are at the table when important governmental decisions are being discussed.  Joan has become the person governmental agencies call upon to understand the early childhood industry.  Joan was instrumental in coordinating the regular meetings with the Department of Children and Family Services at our bi-monthly WCCAA meetings so administrators are informed of licensing changes and can provide input from a practitioner’s point of view.

 I believe Joan exemplifies the role of a true early childhood professional.  Often sacrificing herself and family for the greater good.  Joan believes in our future as an organization and society.  I am proud to recognize Joan for her leadership and to call her a friend.

I want to thank all of you for taking the time to attend our Conference.  I know we are all struggling with staffing shortages and hiring staff that need to be trained from the ground up. And hoping, even with paying higher wages, that our teachers will stay. Our norm has become spending more time in classrooms, and completing our work when we can find time, which is sometimes on the weekend.

During the 4 years of my Presidency, I have seen Child Care go from being an invisible support for working families, to being recognized as the “workforce behind the workforce”.  This changed in 2020 when COVID hit, and it became apparent how important Child Care is to maintain the workforce.  Funding started flooding in.  Still not enough to bring our degreed Teachers to the salary they should be, but an improvement. Now that funding is coming to an end.  Make sure to check out the information about advocating for the continuation of the Child Care Counts Funding in this folder.

Some changes for WCCAA came when we had to cancel the 2020 and 2021 conference because of Covid.  As with all of us in Child Care, WCCAA needed to find the way to readjust to the “new normal” Our board meetings switched to zoom to provide a safe meeting space for the board.  With zoom we realized the opportunity it offered to expand Board meetings to our members with a variety of DCF speakers.  These Wednesday Am meetings kept us informed as to the changes that were coming in funding, licensing and YoungStar / “Shine”.  We averaged about 70 attendees at each of these meetings.

Through these meetings DCF could see the impact these changes were having in Child Care programs.  The conflict many of us were and are having with licensing. A general comment by the DCF speaker after the meeting was, they had no idea of the challenges we in the field are having.

We must always remember, organizations like WECA, SFTA, and the others, are great supports to us in Child Care. But we are the ones doing the job.  We are the hands-on providers who are dealing with the changes in licensing and Shine.  Never forget without us Families won’t have care for their children.  “The workforce behind the workforce.”

For years, WCCAA has pushed to have our Industry viewed as professional educators equal to public and private schools.  Remember when you talk to people outside of the industry to always present them with the professional you are, even if you have nose boogers on your clothes.

The success of these meetings and many aspects of my Presidency was due to WCCAA Independent Consultant, Kelly Jensen.  Her support and the support of board members made me a successful President.

Thank you to all of you.  Good luck in 2023 and God Bless.

Joan Beck, WCCAA President 2019 – 2022

Rep. Born Recognized for Work on Child Care Policy

“It is an honor to receive the Recognition Award from the Wisconsin Child Care Administrators Association,” said Representative Born. “I am glad I was able work with the WCCAA in supporting legislation and proposals that help Wisconsin families have access to high quality child care. I look forward to continuing to help improve the early child care field, which not only helps educate our children, but provides thousands of jobs and aides our communities in many ways.”

Leadership Cohort 2012

A group of Child Care Professionals from across Wisconsin join to celebrate their achievements. The Early Childhood Leadership Credential is a unique opportunity to gain leadership skills directly from a founder in early childhood education. Pam Boulton, Ed.D.

The Leadership Credential provides the building blocks for successful leadership and grows leadership capacity by focusing on skill development, dispositions, new directions, and visionary change.

Support quality early care and education where you live by working with your whole community to help our kids start strong in every way.

Early Care & Education is the Foundation for the Economy 

It will take all of us connecting with legislators to gather support for “Child Care Strong”. We need to request that the $106 million dollar amount remain firm or larger. One important point is, the CARES funds we received in 2020 and will continue to receive in Spring and Summer of 2021 are band aids, a short-term fix to help us survive COVID. The funding asked for in “Child Care Strong” is a long-term investment in all children in all programs.
Yes, the funding should be much larger, but again it is a start.

“DCF Secretary Amundson and her team have been very willing to work with us and listen to our concerns,” said Joan Beck, WCCAA President and Administrator of Willows Christian Child Care in Dodge County.

The Team at Willows stands united on the IMPORTANCE of Early Care & Education