Madison College and partners celebrate future child care facility at Goodman South Campus

Madison College will fulfill a promise to bring child care to the South Madison community and train the next generation of early childhood educators with a new $10 million facility at Madison College Goodman South Campus. 

The Early Learning Campus is slated to open in January 2026 and will be licensed for 75-86 children ages six weeks to five years, in a neighborhood where child care options are scarce, especially for infants.

The new facility will be a game-changer for Madison College's early childhood education students by providing space and opportunities to elevate their skills to teach and care for the children.

This new Early Learning Campus will address the critical shortage of affordable and accessible child care in the South Madison community, a crisis exacerbated by a nearly 30% decline in the child care workforce between 2020 and 2021. By investing in this effort, Madison College is meeting the needs of its students—42% of whom are parents—while also supporting workforce partners and families across the communities it serves.

“Now is the time to bridge the childcare gap for our students. Madison College and its outstanding partners look forward to continuing to be a part of the solution as we present innovative initiatives like this Early Learning Campus,” said Madison College President Jack E. Daniels. "This step forward is not just about supporting education; it’s about fostering sustainable futures, enhancing lives, and serving our community for generations to come.”

Gov. Tony Evers praised the effort to expand childcare options, funded in part by a Workforce Innovation Grant. 

“What’s best for our kids is best for our state, and ensuring working families have access to quality, affordable child care in our local communities is a critical part of not only doing what’s best for kids but also what’s best for our state’s workforce and our economy,” said Gov. Evers. “Through our successful Workforce Innovative Grant Program, I am proud of our work to support Madison College’s project to build a new child care center on campus. This new center will help students and families alike have the tools and resources they need to thrive and know that their kids are being provided excellent care right here on campus.”    

Years in the making, the initiative evolved with the support of a community-wide collaboration of partners. 

The City of Madison supported the project with the $1 sale of the fire station adjacent to the Goodman South Campus. The two-story building renovation will include eight classrooms, a kitchen, a multipurpose room, teacher workspace, and collaboration space for Madison College’s Early Childhood Education program. 

“The City of Madison is proud to be part of a coalition that recognized a critical need for the community and worked together to provide a solution. Lack of affordable childcare shouldn’t be a barrier to success for any family in Madison. The opening of this new facility brings us closer to achieving that goal,” said Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway. "This investment in the City’s south side is an example of Madison’s commitment to ensuring that every resident has the opportunity to thrive.”   

The renovation project was generously funded through $1.8 million of the college’s Workforce Innovation Grant, $1.45 million Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development Early Education grant, generous gifts from private funders, including $2 million from the Roots & Wings Foundation, $1 million from the Pleasant T. Rowland Foundation, $250,000 from American Family Insurance, $150,000 from Madison Community Foundation’s Community Impact Grants program, plus donations from the community and Madison College employees.

“The Department of Workforce Development is thrilled to partner with Madison College’s Goodman South Campus to expand childcare options on Madison's south side," DWD Secretary Amy Pechacek said. “Access to high-quality childcare is essential for a successful workforce and a thriving community. Thank you to everyone who contributed to make construction possible on a project we all look forward to celebrating.”

Madison College Goodman South Campus opened in 2019, providing access to high-quality education, community resources, and collaboration.

Construction of the Early Learning Campus will begin in January 2025.