MILWAUKEE – Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley has been selected to participate in the inaugural cohort of The Hunt Institute’s Early Learning Nation Fellowship (ELN) Program. The ELN Fellowship is a prestigious program designed to support local elected officials who are committed to helping their communities become national leaders in early childhood education. This inaugural cohort of leaders will include more than 100 local elected officials and stakeholders from across the country.
“We know providing children a strong start in life will contribute to their future success. I believe it’s critically important to invest in early childhood development and education to make sure Milwaukee County families have the support needed to realize the bright futures they all deserve,” said County Executive Crowley. “I am honored to be selected for this fellowship that will provide our community with new strategies to invest upstream, provide support to parents, and put our kids on pathways to success. I will continue to support programs and initiatives that uplift the health, safety, and development of Milwaukee children and families.”
Early childhood development and education has broad and significant impacts on the overall health and wellbeing of all Milwaukee County youth and their families. The economic and health costs of not having a robust early childhood system are substantial. The most effective way to address these issues is to invest in building a stronger system.
Under County Executive Crowley’s leadership, Milwaukee County has invested in early childhood development. In April 2024, Crowley awarded $800,000 in federal funding to six local organizations that will provide early childhood development support for children and families in the community. These grants were awarded to Jewish Family Services, The Parenting Network, Penfield Children’s Center, United Community Center, Wisconsin Alliance for Infant Mental Health, and the Wisconsin Latino Chamber of Commerce. These organizations are implementing innovative programs to support parents, babies, and young children in Milwaukee County.
Crowley also recently announced that his administration has helped Milwaukee County families save $67 million in birth costs by repealing an outdated practice from the 1970s. Birth Cost Recovery (BCR) is the process where child support agencies seek court orders that require fathers to repay a portion of childbirth costs paid for by the state Medicaid program. By discontinuing BCR, Milwaukee County is eliminating a financial burden to provide fathers with more money to support their families and children.
Learn more about Milwaukee County’s early childhood services HERE.
About The Hunt Institute
An affiliate of the Duke University Sanford School of Public Policy, The Hunt Institute is a recognized leader in the movement to transform public education. Marshaling expertise from a nationwide partner network since its establishment in 2001, The Institute brings together people and resources that help build and nurture visionary leadership and mobilize strategic action for greater educational outcomes and student success. For more information, please visit www.hunt-institute.org.
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