During the pandemic, Wisconsin Youth Company received state and federal funding for its programs for the first time in its 50-year history. Those funds were essential to the organization surviving the pandemic and continuing to provide programs that children and families in its communities depend on. Leadership at Wisconsin Youth Company realized that with those funds the organization’s impact could be so much greater.
Funding ended but the need for after school programs continues to grow. That is when Wisconsin Youth Company began working with other providers and local partners to come together and advocate for the level of public funding that young people deserve.
There are many people across the state advocating for the needs of young people. Through grant funding, Wisconsin Youth Company is hiring a Director of Advocacy and Outreach. This staff will be an added resource to the existing network and focus on reaching out to providers specifically. The organization’s goal is to bring resources to providers, assist them in effectively advocating for the needs of their programs, and bring them together to use our voices combined to obtain meaningful funding at the state level.
