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With the opening of the Early Learning Campus at Goodman South just months away, Madison College is celebrating the catalyst for this effort, the Workforce Innovation Grant, and supportive community partners.
The Early Learning Campus will provide licensed care to 75-86 children from six weeks to five years old, starting in January 2026. The new facility aims to enhance the experience of Madison College's early childhood education students with real-life learning spaces, to build their skills for professional child care careers.
By investing in this effort, Madison College is meeting the needs of its students, 42% of whom are parents, while also supporting workforce development partners and families across the communities it serves.
The initial renovation project funding came from Madison College’s receipt of a $2.9 million Workforce Innovation Grant (WIG), designed to help increase access to child care and support workforce participation. From the start, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) and the Department of Workforce Development (DWD) have been key partners, connectors and supporters of this vital work.
Madison College President Jennifer Berne thanked project partners during a Sept. 17 celebration event at Goodman South Campus.
“Access to affordable childcare has the power to positively impact a family’s trajectory, fostering healthy and happy children, while also supporting a work-life balance,” Berne said. “This initiative allows Madison College to meet the needs of our student parents, while supporting workforce development partners and families throughout the community. We are so honored to collaborate with our partners on this shared goal to uplift our neighbors and communities."
Collaborative commitment
Madison College’s partners confirmed their commitment to the Early Learning Campus initiative.
“Finding affordable child care isn’t just a family issue. It’s also an education, workforce and economic issue,” said WEDC Secretary and CEO Missy Hughes. “With this project, Madison College has created an innovative solution that will help strengthen the Madison community and create a place where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.”
"Wisconsin is facing a critical shortage of quality, affordable child care, and it is affecting the ability to connect our workforce to jobs," said Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) Secretary Amy Pechacek. "This WIG project is an example of a local solution that will bring more child care options to the community while also providing workforce training opportunities for in-demand jobs.”
The City of Madison played a pivotal role in this initiative through the $1 sale of the fire station adjacent to Goodman South Campus, which was repurposed as the Early Learning Campus project. The renovation features eight classrooms, a kitchen, a multipurpose room, teacher workspace, and collaboration space for Madison College’s Early Childhood Education program.
Sylvia Ramirez, Madison College Vice President, Finance and Administration, acknowledged the donors and partners for their generous contributions.
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“Expanding child care capacity will help our students, their families and our communities succeed,” Ramirez said. “Thanks to our partners, this investment will lead to transformation for generations to come."
