The map allows you to view early care and education (ECE) data in a picture format. All that you view is also available numerically from the standard and custom reports. Click here to view the map in a separate window, if you would like to try the steps while you read the instructions. You may also consider printing these instructions to have them handy.

On the Map page, you will notice two main sections. On the left is the map. On the right is a box showing either the map legend or the options to change the map features.

On the top of the box, you can switch between these two views by clicking the appropriate option button.

If you check the box that says “Definitions on” (at the top right corner of the screen), you can get help while you work. A definition will display over the map explaining whatever your mouse is pointing at.

To view a map of the information you want, you must first make a couple decisions:

• What kind of dots do you want on the map? Do you want family child care, group care, public 4K (or all)?
• Would you like to display background shading with census data? If so, what kind of census data (e.g. poverty, race/ethnicity, language)?
• How big of an area would you like to display (e.g. Wisconsin, a county, a city, a school district)?

1. Choose the early care and education dot points you would like to display, by checking any or all of the boxes displayed in step 1. You may also choose to highlight certain types of ECE data by clicking the drop down with the highlight box. Note that options in the highlight box become available only when the appropriate boxes are checked. For instance, Head Start can be highlighted only when either or both group care and licensed exempt programs are checked because Head Start is not regulated family care.
2. Choose the geographical features that would be appropriate to view at the area you wish to display. For example, if you want to view a particular city, you may want to include municipality boundaries and labels and all roads. If, however, you want to view the southeast region, county boundaries and labels would be more appropriate.
3. You may need to scroll down to view step three. In this step, you may select the background shading. Most of the data here is from the US Census. You may only choose one item for the background. Your options are separated by category: early education, population, race/ethnicity, and poverty data. After you choose an option the definition of that option will appear if you have definitions on (see Help While You Work).
4. Next you must update the map either by clicking the button under step four or by clicking the button in the upper right corner of your page. The button says “Update Map.” Every time you change options in steps 1-3, you must click Update Map for your choices to take effect.
5. You may want to view the legend after you update your map. You can do so by clicking the link in step five or by clicking the option button that says “Legend” at the top right hand corner of the page. Click the “Change Map Features” option if you would like to return to the view allowing you to repeat any of the previous steps.

You may want to get a more detailed look at a particular area of Wisconsin. The easiest way to get close is to choose the appropriate county or region from the drop down box in the lower left corner of the screen. You may also zoom in by drawing a marquee about the area you would like to enlarge. To do so, click and hold the mouse pointer in one area, dragging it down and to the right until you have encompassed the are you want enlarged. Then release the mouse pointer. You may also zoom in by clicking the “zoom in” button in the lower right corner of the screen.

To zoom out, click the zoom out button in the lower right corner of the screen. You may also click the “Full Extent” link to see the whole state or choose a county or region from the drop down box.

If you are at the correct zoom level but want to see something slightly off of the current view of the map, click one of the panning buttons. These are located at the edges of the map and look like blue triangles.

If you zoom or pan mistakenly, the “Last Extent” button moves you back to where you were. It is, in a sense, and undo button for you.

You may print with File to Print at any time, but a printer-friendly version of the map is available using the “Click here for a printable map” link in the upper right corner of the screen. Your browser must allow a popup window for the feature to work. After you click the link, be sure to change the title of your map where it says, “Click here and type your title.” This page is also helpful if you want to copy the image and paste it into your word processor (available in most browsers by a right click).

Standard reports allow you to view census data and early care and education data along side each other in a tabular format. In essence these reports give the hard numbers to the pictures viewable from the map.

1. Choose the geographical area(s) for which you would like to report. You may choose one or more areas from any or all of the drop down boxes: County, Municipality, School District. Note that Wisconsin as a state is available from all drop down boxes as the first item on the list. After you choose an item from the list it populates the selected geographies box. It can be removed by that list by selecting it and clicking the “Remove Geography” button. To speed up your search for a particular area, after you click the down arrow on a drop down box, type the first letter of what you wish to find. Then scroll to find your area. Please beware that some cities have the same name as certain towns. These are different areas. Beware that adding too many geographies to your list may not print as well.
2. Choose the type of report you want in step two. For a description of each, click the “Definitions On” check box and hover your mouse pointer over each report name.
3. Finally choose the format you would like to have. For on-screen viewing or printing, choose the “Web Page” option. To make your own calculations or summaries, choose the Excel File option (which is really a comma separated file).

Custom reports are the same as standard reports with one exception. You may decide which census data to include in your report. See Standard Reports for detailed help.