Search | Menu New $10M Early Learning Campus expands child care access, trains future educators
For Madison College graduate and student parent Natalie Wepking, the Early Learning Campus meant the difference between doubt and possibility.
Balancing coursework with raising a young child often forced impossible choices, she said, until finding child care that was not just safe, but supportive.
After enrolling her daughter at the Early Learning Campus, Wepking was able to focus on her studies, graduate with honors, and prepare to continue her education at UW–Madison.
“When parents know their children are safe, loved and supported,” she told the audience, “we can focus, we can learn, and we can persist.”
With the January 2026 opening of the new $10 million Early Learning Campus (ELC) at Goodman South, Madison College has expanded child care to the South Madison Campus and strengthened future early childhood educator training.
The 20,324-square-foot facility provides licensed care for 85-100 children, from six weeks to five years old, helping address a critical shortage of child care options in the City of Madison.
Research shows student parents with consistent child care are more likely to complete their education, secure higher-paying jobs, and improve long-term economic stability for their families.
Madison College President Dr. Jennifer Berne joined students, faculty, and community partners at a Jan. 15 ribbon-cutting ELC ceremony.
“Affordable child care can change the trajectory of a family’s life,” Berne said. “When student parents know their children are safe and supported, they are better able to complete their education and pursue their goals. This investment strengthens families, supports our workforce, and reflects Madison College’s commitment to removing barriers to education.”
Strengthening early childhood education in Wisconsin
Beyond serving families, the Early Learning Campus strengthens Madison College’s early childhood education (ECE) programs by immersing students in real-world learning environments, classroom observation, practicums and internships.
The ELC builds on the vision of Madison College President Emeritus Dr. Jack Daniels, who championed the creation of the Goodman South Campus in 2019 to expand education and services in South Madison.
“The Early Learning Campus represents a promise kept,” Daniels said. “Goodman South Campus was built to expand opportunities in the South Madison community that had long been underserved, and child care was always part of that vision. By delivering on that commitment, Madison College is honoring the spirit in which this campus was created. The return on this investment will be felt for generations.”
Gov. Tony Evers and the Evers Administration were early supporters of the ELC project, securing funding to support childcare access and expand workforce training.
In 2021, the governor awarded Madison College $2.875 million in grant funding through the successful Workforce Innovation Grant (WIG) program to support the college’s efforts to bolster child care availability in the area and training and upskilling for in-demand jobs in the ECE field.
“We created the Workforce Innovation Grant back in 2021 with one purpose in mind: to support projects that address key regional workforce needs, and this center and its mission to support kids, student parents and caregivers, and our early childhood education professionals, is precisely what we were looking to support with these funds,” Gov. Evers said.
Life-changing child care
The City of Madison supported the initiative through the $1 sale of Fire Station 6, located adjacent to the Goodman South Campus, enabling the building’s transformation into the Early Learning Campus.
“The City of Madison is a proud partner in this effort to expand child care access and train early childhood educators,” said City of Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway. “Through this creative collaboration, we are also advancing the public safety needs of South Madison through a new fire station and by building more affordable homes in one of our most dynamic neighborhoods. This is a win for Madison College, South Madison, and the Madison community as a whole.”
With the opening of the ELC facility, more Madison College students can successfully pursue their higher education goals. Now pursuing a bachelor’s degree, Wepking said.
“Because of the support my family received through the Early Learning Campus, I was able to not only graduate, but to graduate with honors, with a happy, healthy family beside me,” she said. “That is the life-changing power of child care done right.”
