Early childhood education is important for child development and learning, but in order for children to learn, there must be qualified instructors to teach them. Northcentral Technical College (NTC) is working to address the need for early childhood education teachers in local communities through the Early Childhood Education Associate Degree program.
Parress Mason is a current student in the program and has been working in the childcare field for the past five years.
“I love being able to look back at all the children I have impacted in the few years I have been teaching,” she said.
The Early Childhood Education Associate Degree program at NTC prepares students to work as early childhood educators. It combines hands-on fieldwork with related academic courses. Graduates are prepared to care for and educate children from birth to age eight. They create and maintain safe and healthy environments, guide behavior, plan and implement learning experiences and work with staff and families.
Possible career paths include elementary school teacher aide, childcare program supervisor, childcare director, daycare center teacher, early childhood education teacher and preschool teacher.
Tara Abel, an adjunct instructor and an assistant principal in the Medford Area Public School District, began her journey to teaching through the Early Childhood Education Associate Degree program. As she was nearing the end of high school, she had no intention of going to college, and her mother told her that while she did not have to go to a four-year college, she did need to have a plan.
She thought about the courses she took in high school, and she really enjoyed the family and consumer education (FACE) classes. The credit for those classes also transferred to NTC, so she decided to enroll in the program. Once she started, she realized she actually really liked it.
Students in the Early Childhood Education program also have the opportunity to continue their education and earn a four-year degree through partnerships with several colleges and universities.
Tara loved the instructors in the program and her practicum placements, and because of her experience at NTC, she decided she wanted to continue her education and become a teacher. After graduating from NTC, she transferred to the University of Wisconsin – Stout. She completed her degree in early childhood education and early childhood special education and added a fourth through sixth grade certification.
“I know that I would have quit if I had gone to a four-year school and didn’t come here,” Tara said. “By coming to NTC, I felt a lot more positive of what I wanted to do before moving on.”
She then received her master’s degree from Concordia University. After completing her master’s degree, she applied to be an adjunct instructor at NTC. She has been teaching at NTC since 2017.
“I knew that it was something I wanted to come back and do,” Tara said. “I wanted to help reach people in a field I was passionate about.”
Micki Krueger is the assistant director at Childcaring, a local nonprofit resource and referral agency dedicated to providing quality childcare information. They partner with parents, childcare providers, business leaders and community organizations.
“Childcaring helps families look for childcare to meet their needs, serves as a resource to potential and existing regulated childcare providers and works cooperatively to increase the supply of quality, affordable childcare,” she said. “Childcaring promotes the development of a comprehensive childcare system.”
There is a need for more childcare opportunities within Marathon County. According to Childcaring's June 2024 report, there are currently 82 regulated childcare programs within the county, a nearly 60% drop since 2012. Through these programs, there are 3,449 total childcare slots available.
A number of reports and assessments indicate that the need for childcare significantly outweighs the number of slots available. Micki shared data that suggests Marathon County could use an additional 3,500 – 4,000 regulated childcare slots to give families adequate access and more options.
Potential gaps in childcare, according to the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Child Care Gaps Assessment:
Clark County – 1,180
Langlade County – 540
Lincoln County – 640
Marathon County – 3,500
Menominee County – 180
Portage County – 1,450
Price County – 150
Shawano County – 1,260
Taylor County – 730
Waupaca County – 1,480
Wood County – 1,260
One of the challenges facing the industry is the lack of early childhood educators. Micki said some centers have had to close classrooms because they don’t have enough staff to meet the required teacher-to-child ratio, and staff turnover is high. Costs are high for parents, but there are many overhead costs to operate a childcare program, and salaries for employees are generally not high enough for the work involved.
“We often say the childcare business model is broken – it's not like a typical business,” she said. “Childcare providers cannot simply raise their rates because most parents couldn’t afford it; however, most of us can’t work without childcare.”
NTC is working to address the shortage of educators through the early childhood education program, preparing students to work in the field and/or open their own childcare programs.
“Through collaboration with community members, our goal is to ensure that our students graduate fully prepared to work in diverse childcare settings,” said Sara Bartelt, Associate Dean of the School of Liberal Arts Transfer, Education and General Studies.
She said NTC is taking proactive steps to address the shortage through a variety of strategies, including flexible options, a robust curriculum, short-term training programs, and strong student support services.
“Our Early Childhood Education program continues to expand, reflecting the growing interest among individuals who are passionate about pursuing careers in childcare,” she said. “This growth demonstrates the commitment of both our students and NTC to addressing the critical childcare needs within our district.”
Courses in the Early Childhood Education program can be completed 100% online, making the classes more accessible and offering flexibility for students.
“I have recommended this program to many other people as I have had such a positive experience in this program,” Parress said.
Sherry Gutknecht became interested in the program when she began considering the possibility of opening an in-home childcare program. She had been watching her grandchildren and her neighbor’s children while their parents were at work, and she could see the need for childcare in her community. She graduated from the program in December 2023 and opened her own childcare center in Athens in early 2024.
She chose the program at NTC because she wanted to learn and build on forward-thinking ideas in early childcare to help parents in the local communities provide top quality care to their infants, toddlers and developing young children.
“I strongly believe that a good environment has a positive effect on all aspects of children’s growth and development,” she said. “Having positive learning experiences early in life can set the stage for a child’s success later in life.”
By running a childcare center, she is able to make a difference in her community, not only by providing a much-needed service for families, but also by aiding in the development of future generations.
Tara, Parress and Sherry each said the instructors in the program at NTC made all the difference in their success.
“NTC is wonderful at inspiring people to be positive, to push forward and to accomplish their goals,” Sherry said. “The instructors within the Early Childhood Education program are thoughtful, kind and willing to work with students to help them have success in the program.”