Sauk Prairie (WI) Area Building $5.2M Child Care Center

Tywana German, Executive Director of the Sauk Prairie (WI) Area Chamber of Commerce, is straight-forward about the impact the Sauk Prairie Early Learning Center will have on the communities she supports. 

“I’ve been working 34 years and this project – and the journey with First Children’s Finance and the State of Wisconsin – is by far the most memorable, impactful project I have ever done.” 

For the past 8-10 years, the Sauk Prairie area (consisting of three communities) struggled with adequate housing, German said. Building and land costs were making it difficult for people to afford housing. To gather hard data, the Area Chamber of Commerce surveyed community members to determine the biggest stressors on daily living. 

“Surprisingly, child care was No. 1 – far out front of housing needs.” 

The Chamber did a second survey to find out more about how child care issues – both affordability and lack of access – affected families. The results were eye-opening. 

“45 percent reported that their children were staying with unlicensed providers caring for four or more unrelated children,” German said. “And due to the limited supply of childcare in the area, families faced difficult decisions to choose unregulated and sometimes illegal care, traveled long distances for care, and/or even removed themselves from the workforce.” 

The Sauk Prairie area applied for a grant through the State of Wisconsin’s Dream Up! program and began working with First Children’s Finance. 

“At first I was hopeful that FCF would bring information from other Wisconsin communities that had been where we were,” German said. “Then we realized that we were really one of the first out of the gate on this type of work. We were the ‘guinea pigs.’ 

German said that while they needed to re-set their approach a little, working with FCF was extremely beneficial. 

“FCF really held us accountable and got us talking together. We began meeting monthly and working with stakeholders. The structure that FCF provided really kept us on track and moving effectively. If I had questions the staff were wonderful and responsive. Kari Stattelman (Director of Consulting) and Amy Arena Couture (Business Development Manager) were key to leading the charge, but Angie De Los Santos spent the most time with us. She was amazing!” 

The result? The Sauk Prairie area developed a unique public/private partnership that included the Chamber of Commerce, area businesses, the school district, and individual funders. 

“We are building a 16,000-square-foot licensed for 168 children ages infant through 5,” German said. “It is being built on land that was an existing park and 48 businesses and individuals funded the entire $5.2 million cost.” 

Another groundbreaking aspect is that the school district will operate the center and employ 30 staff members. The employees will be paid between $17-$30 an hour and receive school district benefits. 

“While our goal was to expand child care slots, another non-negotiable goal was to educate our community about the importance of early education workers – who often faced low salaries and no benefits – and we accomplished that. They will all earn a livable wage, which was key.” 

Currently on track for a September 2025 opening, interest in the center has been strong. Once an agreement with a builder was finalized, the school district shared links for potential employees and families. Within hours of sharing the information, 85 families signed up for the waiting list and 10 possible employees expressed interest. 

“We are hiring for a director and an assistant director, who will then hire the staff.” 

One of the things that makes German most proud is that because of the relationship with the school district the center will have early childhood interventionists in the center daily. “They will be working with children who have needs BEFORE they are school age. You can address any issues early and make them more successful when they are ready to attend school.” 

German said that as a mom of two grown children who are now also parents, it was eye-opening to her how child care had changed. Wages for workers had not increased as tuition rates rose. And access was very difficult. 

“I feel like as a country we can do better. I feel like this process helped me become a change agent for this sector and this industry. Working on this has made me more involved and vocal. I am very proud of what we have accomplished here and can’t wait for the center to open!”