Senator Baldwin Champions Investments for Child Care, Mental Health, and Affordable Housing

WASHINGTON, D.C – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, is highlighting funding she brought home in the annual funding package which was signed into law last month to support Wisconsin families, including investments in affordable housing, child care, family-supporting jobs, and mental health care.

“I am proud to have crafted bipartisan legislation that will help keep costs down for families and give hardworking Americans the opportunities and tools they need to live comfortable, secure lives,” said Senator Baldwin. “I fought hard to ensure our legislation will put child care in reach for families, build more affordable housing, make mental health more widely available, and connect Americans with the education and workforce training they need to land good-paying jobs. We have more work to do to keep costs down for Americans, but I’m proud to have worked with both parties to give hardworking Wisconsin families the economic security they need and deserve.”

Investing in Child Care and Pre-K

Senator Baldwin, Chair of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, wrote legislation that helps confront the child care crisis that communities across the country are facing.

In Wisconsin, some families are now spending up to 36% of their income on child care. With childcare for two young children costing more than $25,000 per year in Wisconsin, this essential cost for families now outpaces annual tuition at UW-Madison. From 2010 to 2021, the number of child care workers statewide had fallen by 26%.

Child Care and Early Learning Programs: Senator Baldwin’s bill provides a $1 billion increase for early learning programs over fiscal year 2023.

• Child Care: $8.75 billion for the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) which will help more families across the country find and afford the child care they need.
• Head Start: $12.27 billion for Head Start, which will support Head Start teachers and staff as the program faces staffing shortages. Sustained annual increases to our federal investments in child care and Head Start are critical in tackling the child care crisis and helping to ensure more families can find and afford the quality, affordable child care and early childhood education options they need.

Expanding Support for Mental Health Care

As Chair of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, Senator Baldwin also wrote a bill that protects and builds upon key investments in mental health programs.

Investing in Mental Health: $1 billion for the Mental Health Block Grant and $153 million for the Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training Program to support community-based clinical training and strengthen the mental health workforce through repayment of education loans for individuals working in either a Mental Health Professional Shortage Area or where the overdose death rate exceeds the national average. Senator Baldwin’s legislation also includes $385 million for Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics.

Supporting Youth Mental Health: The bill also includes more than $160 million in investments within the Department of Education to address the shortage of school-based mental health professionals in our nation’s K-12 schools. Senator Baldwin’s legislation also includes $98.8 million for the National Child Traumatic Stress Initiative.

Senator Baldwin’s 988 Suicide Hotline: Senator Baldwin’s legislation provides an $18 million increase for the 988 Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Senator Baldwin penned the legislation that created the 988 Suicide Prevention Lifeline, which launched in July of 2022.

Essential Health Care Programs: The bill protects essential funding to address public health threats, improve health care access and affordability, and strengthen the health care workforce. This includes: $1.86 billion for Community Health Centers, including $55 million for school-based health centers; $1.4 billion for Health Professions Workforce Development; $1.2 billion for the core Maternal and Child Health programs; $345 million for the Improving Maternal Health Initiative to combat the unacceptable levels of maternal mortality; and $4.1 billion for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid’s (CMS) administrative needs.

Protecting Workers and Creating Pathways to Family-Supporting Jobs

Senator Baldwin’s Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies funding legislation also protects funding for key workforce development programs to help leverage investments made in the Baldwin-backed Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Inflation Reduction Act, and CHIPS and Science Act to continue to grow the economy, provide workers the skills they need to secure good-paying jobs of the future, and help American businesses compete globally.

Workforce Development: The bill includes $2.9 billion for Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) formula grants, protecting essential investments made in recent years. It provides $285 million for Registered Apprenticeships and sustains funding for a range of other programs, such as YouthBuild and Reentry Employment Opportunities.

Worker Protection: The bill protects investments in the Department of Labor’s worker protection agencies. It protects funding for the Wage and Hour Division—providing $260 million to support the Division’s work. The bill also protects funding for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)—providing level funding of $632 million.

Boosting Supply and Access to Affordable Housing

Increasing Supply of Affordable Housing: As communities across the nation continue to face a shortage of affordable homes, the funding legislation makes critical investments to increase the supply of housing so that Americans can keep a roof over their head. The funding package includes:

• $6.7 billion for local community development and affordable housing needs through the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) formula program and Economic Development Initiatives. Last year, the CDBG program invested over $62 million into Wisconsin projects.
• $1.25 billion for the HOME Investment Partnerships Program, the primary federal tool for state and local governments to produce affordable rental and owner-occupied housing. This funding level will lead to the construction of more than 7,000 new rental and homebuyer units nationwide.
• $1.34 billion for the Native American Housing Block Grant program. Through this historic level of funding and the sustained investment in the Tribal Housing and Related Agency Infrastructure Interagency Task Force, the bill will make significant progress in addressing the dire housing needs of Indian Country, where residents are nearly twice as likely to live in poverty and nearly three times more likely to live in overcrowded conditions compared to other U.S. households.

Strengthening Investments in Rental Assistance Programs: The funding legislation provides $70.07 billion in funding for the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)–to maintain all existing rental assistance while increasing efforts to reduce homelessness, connect people to both housing and health care, and remove barriers to housing opportunities and development, including unnecessary administrative burdens. The funding legislation also maintains critical support for HUD’s rental assistance programs, which help nearly five million vulnerable households—more than half of whom are elderly or people with disabilities—keep a roof over their heads.

Home Heating and Cooling Assistance: The funding package includes $4.025 billion for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) to help low-income households heat and cool their homes.

Delivering Direct Support for Child Care, Affordable Housing, and Mental Health Support

Through community-driven projects, Senator Baldwin also delivered direct support in the annual funding package for projects expanding access to affordable child care, housing, mental health, and essential care support in every corner of the state.

Expanding Access to Affordable Child Care and Early Education

• Green County Family YMCA: $1 million to support facility expansion construction to include new childcare and youth development centers, health living center, community kitchen, fitness classrooms, and programming spaces for seniors and youth.
• Jackson County Childcare Network: $1.038 million to increase access to child care in Jackson County.
• United Way of Kenosha County: $200,000 to support literacy programming for children and families.
• ADVOCAP: $600,000 for a shared facility for childcare entrepreneurs in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.
• Brown County United Way: $450,000 to support childcare.

“On behalf of the entire Green County Family YMCA, I extend our heartfelt thank you to Senator Baldwin and her unwavering commitment to our mission of youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility. We are truly humbled and grateful for the Senator’s support, and we look forward to the incredible possibilities that lie ahead as we work together to build a healthier, happier, and more inclusive community for all,” said Trent Henning, Executive Director of the Green County Family YMCA.

“We are honored and grateful for this amazing opportunity to direct resources to continue to address this very important challenge in Jackson County. As a child care desert, Jackson County faces a need to add nearly 1,000 child care slots to serve children and families,” said Marianne Torkelson, Chair of the Jackson County Child Care Network. “We now can create innovative solutions to address our communities’ needs – the result will not only be a stronger workforce in Jackson County but also opportunities for children to access the care that better prepares them to enter school ready to learn and set them up for success for the rest of their lives.”

“With great appreciation, United Way of Kenosha County [UWKC] and Building Our Future [BOF] acknowledge and express gratitude to Senator Tammy Baldwin, Congress, and President Biden for entrusting our organizations as recipients of the 2024 congressionally directed spending funds allocated towards education initiatives,” said Carolynn Friesch, CEO of United Way of Kenosha County. “We understand that third-grade reading proficiency is a crucial indicator of a student’s potential success. In Kenosha County, where two out of three third graders struggle with reading proficiency, we are dedicated to addressing both immediate challenges and systemic issues to improve early-grade reading outcomes across our community. However, the current needs of students far outweigh the current levels of support. This funding will enable United Way of Kenosha County and Building Our Future to deepen our collaboration efforts, increasing access to valuable literacy programs regardless of students’ geographical locations and thereby promoting educational equity.”

“We are so excited to be given the opportunity to help address our community’s childcare crisis through our new and innovative pilot project, the Childcare Incubator Program. This program will provide the opportunity to create and develop small businesses who will provide childcare in a rented facility that will replicate a family childcare environment,” said Tanya Marcoe, CPA, Executive Director of ADVOCAP. “ADVOCAP is so grateful to Senator Baldwin and everyone on the Appropriations Committee for their support with this program! We need to start thinking innovatively to address the childcare shortage, this program does just that!”

“Brown County United Way is grateful to have its Congressionally Directed Spending project included in the Fiscal Year 2024 funding bill. We, along with our community partners will leverage the $450,000.00 appropriation to address critical childcare issues that impact, children, families and employers throughout our community,” said Robyn Davis, J.D., President and CEO of Brown County United Way.

Investing in Critical Mental Health Services and Essential Care for Families

• Scenic Bluffs Community Health Center: $1.6 million to support construction of a new clinic in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin to provide dental, primary care, and behavioral health care, and a social services center to help meet the needs of low-income individuals.
• Kettle Moraine YMCA: $150,000 to support youth mental health programming.
• Milwaukee Public Schools: $1.6 million to support the Success Center, a collaborative program to support the success and well-being of students through a multi-disciplinary approach that includes clinical mental health services and educational interventions.
• Bellin College: $400,000 to establish a mental health nurse practitioner degree program.
• Columbia County Health and Human Services: $1 million to support construction of a mental health and substance abuse clinic.
• Children’s Hospital and Health Systems Inc.: $1 million to support Children’s Mental and Behavioral Health Access to support families with outpatient, psychiatry and school-based mental health care.

“We are very thankful in the support that Senator Baldwin and her office has provided to our YMCA. YMCA mental health programming has already made a big impact in the communities we serve, and this grant will allow us to continue and expand these offerings,” said Rob Johnson, CEO of Kettle Moraine YMCA.

“MPS appreciates Senator Baldwin’s advocacy on behalf of our students. This funding will help us continue services provided through our Success Center as well as enhancing the supports for mental health services and social and emotional learning. We look forward to the details that are forthcoming,” said Dr. Keith P. Posley, Superintendent for Milwaukee Public Schools.

“Children’s Wisconsin thanks Senator Baldwin for securing federal funding for our work to improve access to mental and behavioral health services for kids in the state. Wisconsin’s Office of Children’s Mental Health data shows that almost half of Wisconsin’s youth with a diagnosed mental health condition do not receive treatment,” said Amy Herbst, Vice President of mental and behavioral health at Children’s Wisconsin. “This funding will contribute to Children’s Wisconsin’s commitment to addressing that gap by supporting critical outreach and navigation services that ensure children and families get the care and supports they need.”

Supporting Affordable Housing Projects Across Wisconsin

• Impact Seven: $4 million to support the Housing Opportunity and Mobile Education project that will create affordable apartments in conjunction with on-site training in advanced manufacturing for low-income and underemployed residents in Hayward, Ladysmith, Minong and Hurley, Wisconsin.
• Milwaukee County: $2 million for the development and support of affordable housing projects throughout Milwaukee County.
• Kenosha Area Business Alliance: $1.2 million to support construction of affordable housing as part of the Kenosha Uptown Lofts project.
• Village of Wausaukee: $1.6 million to support development of affordable housing.
• St. Croix Valley Habitat for Humanity: $500,000 to support construction of affordable workforce housing in Pierce County.
• Bayfield County: $1 million to support development of affordable workforce housing.
• La Crosse County: $1 million for Hillview Community Services Center, a community services hub to provide housing for unsheltered people and affordable childcare, with a focus on veterans.

“The federal award will support the Housing Opportunity and Mobile Education Solutions (HOMES) project in rural Wisconsin communities by producing 120 new apartments affordable to working families while offering on-site access to technical training in advanced manufacturing skills in partnership with a regional technical college and local employers,” said Brett Gerber, President of Impact Seven. “This important resource represents an innovative approach to rural community development in northern Wisconsin and will serve as a valuable workforce asset for decades to come.”

“Housing is a matter of public health, and housing security is a critical social determinant of health. Our shared vision for Milwaukee County includes expanding equitable access to safe, quality, and affordable housing,” said Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley. “I am grateful for Senator Tammy Baldwin’s leadership and impactful efforts to deliver federal funding for our community where it’s needed most. Through this investment, we will continue working together to ensure more residents and families have access to the affordable housing options they deserve.”

“We are very grateful to receive this critical funding for the Uptown Lofts mixed-used development in Kenosha. This project will be an important step towards revitalizing the Uptown neighborhood which has endured many hardships in recent years. Thank you to Sen. Baldwin for helping KABA and its partners reach the finish line on the project with this much-needed grant funding,” said Nicole Ryf, President of the Kenosha Area Business Alliance.

“Policymakers, program designers, advocates and implementers must collectively mobilize resources to build sustainable, affordable housing and significantly impact our critical lack of inventory. This award starts that process,” said Kristie Smith, Executive Director of St. Croix Valley Habitat for Humanity. “We are thankful to Senator Baldwin’s office, and the Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies for recognizing this immense need. This investment in affordable housing is also an investment in generational wealth building and opportunities for more of our neighbors who can change their lives through home ownership.”

“The shortage of affordable workforce housing is a problem everywhere, but rural communities like those in Bayfield County are at a greater disadvantage when it comes to finding the necessary resources to do something about it,” said Mark Abeles-Allison, Bayfield County Administrator. “We thank Senator Baldwin for her help in securing federal funding that will result in new housing developments to serve Bayfield County families, keeping seniors and workers right here in our community.”

“We are extremely grateful to Senator Baldwin for advocating for La Crosse County to secure this grant,” said Monica Kruse, La Crosse County Board Chair. “This funding will have a major positive impact on expediting our project to transform Hillview and support good paying jobs and exceptional services for our community.”

An online version of this release is available here.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.