Merrill forum to tackle child care’s toll on Northwoods workforce

Policymakers, employers, child care providers, and residents will gather in Merrill in about two weeks to talk about a problem that reaches well beyond the nursery: how the shortage of child care is shaping Northern Wisconsin’s families, businesses, and economy.
Dream Up! Lincoln County and Advance Wisconsin Employment are hosting the Northwoods Forum on Child Care Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2026, at the Lincoln County Service Center, 801 N. Sales St., upper level. A dinner reception sponsored by Geiss Meat Service of Merrill begins at 5 p.m., followed by the forum at 6 p.m.
The discussion will center on three questions: what child care challenges local communities are facing; how those challenges affect families, employers, and local economies; and what can be done to build lasting solutions.
Panelists include State Rep. Patrick Snyder, R-Schofield, Chair of the Assembly Committee on Children and Families; Micki Krueger, Assistant Director of Childcaring Inc.; and Brian Kalish, Executive Director of Advance Wisconsin Employment. Sara Guild, Director of Lincoln County Economic Development, and Elsa Duranceau, President and CEO of the Child Care Coalition of Wisconsin, will moderate.
Duranceau said the issue should be viewed through an economic lens as much as a social one.

“Child care is often discussed as a social service, but it is also workforce infrastructure and economic infrastructure,” Duranceau said. “If we want northern Wisconsin communities to remain places where families can live, businesses can grow, and employers can find workers, we have to address child care as a fundamental part of that infrastructure.”
Organizers describe the forum as a nonpartisan conversation and are inviting elected officials, candidates, employers, child care providers, parents, economic development professionals, community leaders, and the general public to attend.
“Solving the child care challenge requires communities to move beyond identifying the problem and begin building solutions together,” Krueger said. “This forum provides an opportunity for people across sectors to have that conversation.”
The forum is part of Dream Up! Lincoln County, a community initiative that brings residents, businesses, and organizations together to support working families and the county’s long-term economic health. The initiative treats child care as essential infrastructure for a strong workforce.
For more information, contact Duranceau at director@3cwi.org or 715.527.0486.