Office of Child Care and Family Resources

06/15/2026

We're so excited to introduce Degrees of Impact, a new series celebrating CCTAP alumni who finished their degrees at UW–Madison and went on to do remarkable things. 🎓

Our first profile features Erin Trondson, who balanced new parenthood, waitressing shifts, and a full course load as an undergraduate in the mid-90s. With support from CCTAP, she finished her degree and went on to build nearly three decades of work centered on supporting children, families, and caregivers. ❤️

We can't wait for you to read her story: https://occfr.wisc.edu/2026/06/05/doi-erintrondson/ 👇

A Story Made Possible by CCTAP Each year, the Child Care Tuition Assistance Program at UW–Madison helps parenting students do something remarkable: finish their degrees. Degrees of Impact tells the stories of graduates who did exactly that, and went on to do remarkable things. For more than two de...

06/01/2026

When state childcare funding dries up this summer, parents, providers and advocates worry it will have ripple effects on the families and the economy.

06/01/2026

We're thrilled to share that University of Wisconsin-Madison received a WCCAA award for its outstanding commitment to high-quality child care and supporting university families! OCCFR director Cigdem Unal nominated UW–Madison and had the honor of presenting the award to Jeff Novak, associate vice chancellor for finance and administration. Read more about the award here:
https://education.wisc.edu/news/uw-madison-receives-wccaa-award-for-commitment-to-child-care-and-families/

04/30/2026

We’re thrilled to announce that Jake Brunkard, associate professor of genetics, is this year’s recipient of the Outstanding Student Paren Support Award!

Nominated for his proactive approach to supporting a grad student through pregnancy, parental leave, and return to the lab, Jake created an environment that enabled his student to thrive both academically and personally.

Thank you Jake, and congratulations!

04/27/2026

04/27/2026

04/14/2026

🌟 It’s Week of the Young Child!

Each April, we join early childhood communities across the country in celebrating the Week of the Young Child, a time to honor childhood, recognize the families who nurture it, and lift up the educators who make it possible.

As our director Cigdem Unal shared in this week’s blog post, the early years are when curiosity awakens, confidence begins to grow, and a lifelong love of learning takes root. That kind of growth doesn’t happen by accident. It happens because of the dedicated early childhood educators who show up every day with patience, knowledge, and heart. 🧡

To celebrate and support the ECEs in our community, we’re offering a free digital reflective journal designed by Cigdem, just for early childhood educators. It’s a space to pause, reflect, and reconnect with the “why” behind the work. Link in bio to download!

Stay tuned for more Week of the Young Child celebrations! 🎉

04/07/2026

It’s Election Day, Badgers! If you’re voting in Wisconsin, here’s what you need to know:
📍 WHERE: Your assigned polling place. It’s the ONLY place you can vote today.
⏰ WHEN: Polls are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. If you’re in line by 8 p.m., you can vote.
🪪 PACKING LIST: ID to register (if you need to register or re-register) and ID to vote.
❗️ Remember: Your Wiscard IS NOT a voter ID!
Find all the info you need at vote.wisc.edu.

03/26/2026

We are proud to celebrate Cigdem Unal, Director of OCCFR at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, for receiving the Early Childhood Champion Award from the National Coalition for Campus Children’s Centers!

Her leadership continues to expand access to high-quality child care and strengthen support for families across campus. Congratulations, Cigdem!

StudentParentSupport ChildCareAccess

03/10/2026

Calling all parenting students! Help us recognize the faculty and staff who go above and beyond to create a supportive classroom and school-life balance. Nominate someone for the **2026 Outstanding Student Parent Support Award** today! 🏆

🗓️ Deadline: March 20 🔗 Nominate here:

The OCCFR Award for Outstanding Student Parent Support is presented each year to a UW-Madison faculty or staff member who has demonstrated exceptional dedication and commitment to supporting parenting students. This award celebrates employees who have made a meaningful impact on the academic success...