Child Care Stabilization Act would send out $16B in funding annually for 5 years

WISCONSIN (CBS 58) -- This week, Wisconsin's Republican-controlled Legislature did not take votes during a special session the governor called to address the child care crisis. 

However, lawmakers did refer Evers' proposal to fund day care centers to committee, which means it's still on the table for now. 

Meanwhile, on Capitol Hill, Senator Tammy Baldwin is pushing for federal action to help keep child care centers in the state and the rest of the country up and running. 

Funding from the American Rescue Plan helped keep doors open during the pandemic, but that funding is due to run out at the end of the month. 

Baldwin is joining other lawmakers to introduce the Child Care Stabilization Act. 

It would send out $16 billion in funding every year for five years. 

The senator says a lack of good child care can have a ripple effect. 

"This has an impact on entire communities because parents can't go to work, they're not soliciting or using local small businesses, and it has an economic effect on our communities," said Baldwin. 

If passed, the federal funding would support Governor Tony Evers' Child Care Counts program that helped day care centers during the pandemic.