A Republican-authored bill that its authors say would help tackle Wisconsin’s workforce issue by incentivizing employers to help their employees with child care drew praise from the business community and frustration from child care providers during a Senate committee hearing.
The bill, which had a public hearing Wednesday, would give employers state tax credits for helping employees access and afford child care.
Here’s what to know about the bill, and why it’s garnering both so much support and opposition.
There are multiple ways employers could receive tax credits for helping with child care
Under the bill, employers could claim up to $100,000 in state tax credits for costs associated with establishing a child care program to help its employees or contributing to a separate nonprofit to do so. Proposed amendments could make it so they could contribute to any regulated child care program.
Employers who operate a child care center for their employees could claim a state tax credit for expenses associated with operating the center. They could claim up to $3,000 per employee’s child served at the center. This could be in addition to a state tax credit claimed for capital expenditures.