Search | Menu Breaking Barriers to Student Parent Success
Madison College has long recognized the importance of offering child care for our student parents and the need has never been greater. With 42% of our students identifying as parents or caregivers, access to high-quality, affordable child care is crucial in enabling them to pursue their educational goals without compromising their family's well-being.
Our college’s bold new effort to open an Early Learning Campus at Goodman South will profoundly impact the lives of children and their families and disrupt the cycle of structural inequities.
The Child Care Imperative
A declining number of child care workers in Wisconsin coupled with high costs for the limited open spots in our district’s child care centers making finding and paying for child care a significant burden for the workforce and Madison College student parents.
These student parents are academically talented but are less likely to complete college as they are often faced with the impossible choice of their studies or caring for their children.
Madison College’s child care roadmap, developed as part of the college’s Workforce Innovation Grant and in response to Governor Evers priority to address the state’s child care crisis, offers a bold solution for our students, the community, and employers throughout our District. One key component of the roadmap is opening a child care center at our Goodman South Campus.
By establishing an Early Learning Campus at Goodman South, we can:
- Increase access to high-quality, affordable child care for Madison College student parents and other families in the South Madison community
- Offer extended hours and drop-in care, including evenings and Saturdays
- Help ensure a pipeline of highly trained early childhood educators for the future
- Help reduce barriers to the women’s labor participation rate, a group disproportionately affected by the pandemic and decreased child care access
Recognizing South Madison’s Child Care Needs
Making college completion a reality for our student parents, in part by helping them access high-quality, affordable child care, will transform generations and create a lasting impact for the South Madison community. Investments in early, high-quality child care offer the highest economic return of any workforce development initiative. Every dollar invested yields a return, with the earliest investments yielding the highest returns.
Additionally, data shows:
42% of Madison College students identify as parents or caretakers.
Nearly 40% of currently enrolled Goodman South Campus students come from immediate surrounding ZIP codes.
12% to 19% of children under five live in poverty in three of the four ZIP codes surrounding the Goodman South Campus, making high-quality, higher-cost infant and toddler care out of reach for families.
The Bold Vision
Once fully complete, the Early Learning Center at Goodman South will serve 70-100 children and local families, provide a learning site for our Early Childhood Education students, and offer critical child care to the community. The facility will be built in two phases, with plans to break ground in 2024 and open for the 2025-2026 academic year.
Phase One
Four classrooms on the first level with a total capacity of 50 children.
A kitchen, gym and outdoor play space.
Construction of an unfinished second floor.
Phase Two
Finishing the second floor to add four classrooms, increasing capacity to 100+ children.
Expanding the Goodman South campus to connect with the Early Learning Campus.
Enhanced learning spaces and classrooms for our Early Childhood Education students.
Join Us in This Effort
We invite you to join us in this vital project to ensure parents can achieve their dreams of higher education and employment.
Generous lead donors including the Pleasant T. Rowland Foundation and the Roots & Wings Foundation, the City of Madison, the State of Wisconsin, and other community partners, have stepped up to champion this important and community-changing effort.
Additional major gifts will help bring bright, welcoming learning spaces, classrooms, outdoor play areas, and multipurpose spaces to life.
Gifts of any amount will be instrumental in meeting the critical need for high-quality, affordable child care for student parents and families in our community.
Giving Levels and Naming Opportunities
Major gift donations will have far-reaching impact, and create a ripple effect, impacting not only present generations, but future ones as well.
Keystone | $2,500,000
- Naming the building
Visionary | $1,000,000+
- Toddler/preschool classroom (up to 4)
- Gym (1)
Founder | $600,000 - $999,999
- Infant classrooms (up to 4)
- Lobby (1)
Champion | $400,000-$599,999
- Kitchen (1)
- Playgrounds (2)
Advocate | $250,000-$399,999
- Family conference rooms (3)
- Lactation room (1)
Investor | $100,000-$249,999
- Key operational areas (laundry, toy, library)
Sponsor | $50,000-$99,999
- Outdoor sun protection, trees, benches
Supporter | $25,000-$49,999
- Commemorative feature
Every Gift Makes a Difference
Every donation, no matter the amount, helps Madison College realize its vision of building a new child care center at Goodman South. These contributions are essential in reaching our fundraising goals. Whether it's $25 or $20,000, every dollar works hard to provide critical resources and meet our funding needs. In appreciation of your support, all contributors will receive name recognition within the facility’s commemorative donor feature.
Get Involved
To learn more about the vision and the giving opportunities, please contact Valentina Ahedo at vahedo@madisoncollege.edu.
Making a Difference
The college’s commitment to our student parents is unwavering. Read more about these stories and awards.
