Officials updated the committee Oct. 2, 2025, on the ARPA-funded Child Care Foundational Training (CCFT) and scholarship program, which pays scholarships and stipends to help prospective and current childcare providers complete foundational training required for regulated family and group childcare in Marathon County.

Kelly Borchard, and Rachel (program director) of Child Caring, told the committee that, to date, 15 participants have completed the initial survey and enrolled in courses, five participants have completed the scholarship program, and four participants are actively enrolled. The presenters said three family childcare providers received disbursements tied to completion and that Wausau Child Care centers received multiple stipends for staff completion.

The nut graf: program administrators said the training and stipend structure is intended to increase the regulated childcare workforce and to help existing programs open or expand classrooms by providing trained staff; early metrics show the program helped two new family childcare programs form and contributed to about a 120-slot increase in regulated slots in the county since the start of 2025.

Program details and outcomes presented: family childcare providers who complete the first course with program documentation are eligible for $2,500 at course completion and another $2,500 after achieving regulated status (total $5,000). Group childcare programs receive $5,000 per program once staff complete the required courses; $2,500 is earmarked for onboarding costs and $2,500 as employee incentive pay. Presenters reported $40,000 distributed to date.

On outcomes, Child Caring reported two new family childcare providers have become regulated as a direct result of program participation and that, across Marathon County, about 120 additional regulated slots were added since the beginning of 2025. Presenters cautioned that some withdrawn participants left for family or medical reasons. The program’s target is to train 30 new individuals; organizers said they are roughly halfway to that goal with active courses still to complete.

Committee members pressed for measurable outcomes tied to slots opened. Child Caring provided a clear count for the two new family childcare programs (about 16 slots) and described the group-center effects as less immediately measurable: trained staff improve retention and allow centers to avoid room closures and, over time, allow centers to resume fuller capacity.

Discussion versus decision: the presentation was an informational update; no new county action or additional funding was requested at the meeting. Program staff said they will continue to monitor completions and outcomes and report back to the committee.