Community Collaboration in the Village of La Farge (WI) Brings Vision to Life
In the Village of La Farge – a community of 30,000 in southwestern Wisconsin – families struggled to access child care while working and going to school. This became a crisis when the only child care center in town closed its doors shortly after the COVID pandemic. Parents were forced to commute long distances or adjust work schedules due to the worsening child care shortage. The result was a ripple effect that impacted household income, workplace productivity, and the local economy.
In early 2023, Frank Quinn, President of the Village of La Farge, saw a way to solve the issue. The Village applied and was selected to participate in Wisconsin’s Dream Up! Child Care Supply Building Grant Program. First Children’s Finance partnered with La Farge to assess the community’s gap in child care supply and demand, bring together key constituents to identify specific solutions, and create a tailored child care supply strategic plan with concrete actions within the community’s reach. The Wisconsin Department of Children and Families invested – and FCF administered – a $75,000 grant to support strategic plan’s implementation.
As a result, La Farge gathered eight community members from a range of industries and sectors, identified three strategic priorities, and ultimately built a new, licensed high-quality child care center serving 30 children and their families.
The project began with First Children’s Finance convening community members who might otherwise not be working together to solve this challenge: village officials, school administrators, parents, business owners, and early childhood experts. First Children’s Finance collaborated with members of the community “Core Team” to collect and present child care data and business insights specific to the La Farge community. Using the data and insights, FCF facilitated meetings with the core team to develop strategies and plans that worked through the complexities of licensing requirements, zoning regulations, budget projections and other considerations.
“The Village of La Farge demonstrated the power of collaboration through a dedicated and engaged team. Though modest in size, this group exemplified how meaningful outcomes can be achieved when committed individuals come together with a shared purpose,” said FCF Business Development Manager Amy Arena Couture. “Throughout the Strategic Supply Planning Process, they developed thoughtful, actionable plans that led to strong results. Their success was further supported by the presence of key stakeholders, ensuring that each initiative was grounded in community priorities. Every member contributed unique strengths, and together they demonstrated how collective effort can drive significant impact.”
Once it was clear the community’s priority was opening a new licensed child care center, FCF helped ensure the center’s financial sustainability. This meant thinking outside the box by developing community partnerships to support the sustainability of the new business, even after the initial grant funding was used. For example, the Village of La Farge, Bethel Home & Services, Organic Valley, and the La Farge School District partnered to raise an additional $80,000 through private donations, business sponsorships, and in-kind contributions. These funds and contributions went toward construction costs, furnishing classrooms, purchasing curriculum materials and play equipment, and covering initial staffing costs. The partnership with Organic Valley, a major local business whose employees need and benefit from access child care, resulted in offering a nutritious family-style meal program for enrolled children.
The community didn’t stop there. It prioritized ensuring that early educator wages were competitive and included benefits and professional development. Teachers receive ongoing training, mentorship from early childhood coaches, and access to resources that help them grow professionally, stay in the field long-term, and provide high-quality care to children.
“We knew from the start that if we wanted to keep quality staff, we had to invest in them,” said Quinn. “It’s not just about hiring —i t’s about valuing early educators as professionals.”
After more than a year of preparation, the La Farge Community Childcare Center officially opened in October 2024, fully licensed for 30 children. The opening was celebrated with a well-attended ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house, welcoming parents, donors, and community members to tour the newly renovated space. For the Village of La Farge, this center represents more than just a solution to child care—it’s a catalyst for community health and greater economic activity.
“Opening this center was about more than creating a building—it was about bringing our community together around the shared goal of supporting children and families,” said Quinn. “The guidance and resources from First Children’s Finance helped us go from vision to reality. We are proud of what we’ve built and excited for the future of early childhood care in La Farge.”
If you are interested in finding out more about how FCF helped La Farge and might be able to help your community or state, please contact FCF!
Click HERE to read a snapshot of the Village of La Farge Strategic Supply Plan.
