Milwaukee small business owner talks issues after returning from State of the Union address

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- A Milwaukee small business owner is back in town after attending the State of the Union address earlier this week.

She's continuing to shine a light on health care and childcare challenges she sees.

Kara Pitt-D'Andrea says these debates should not be partisan issues.

She's trying to get lawmakers to see how the costs can cause a chain reaction that can touch every aspect of their lives.

Pitt-D'Andrea said, "It feels like no matter what we do, we're only treading water. And we're never swimming toward- we're never getting to a new destination."

For several years now, Pitt-D'Andrea has been advocating for lower health care costs.

Her non-profit Renaissance Child Development Center is unable to offer private insurance, but says the Affordable Care Act acted as a bridge. "It's certainly why I'm able to stay in the industry and in the non-profit sector."

Earlier this week, Pitt-D'Andrea was the guest of Congresswoman Gwen Moore at the State of the Union address.

And while in Washington, she witnessed some of the political conversation. "Americans don't need another debate," Pitt-D'Andrea said. "We need stability, we need predictability, we need affordable health care. And we need politicians that work together to get us there."

She says providers are exhausted. "People are sometimes choosing between a career that they love, that they simply cannot afford to stay in."

And so are families forced to pay high childcare costs.

She says those two issues—health care and childcare—can impact housing and food choices, medication affordability, and the choice to have a car.

Pitt-D'Andrea is hoping Washington will invest in the childcare industry to help families keep working. "It was unclear from some of the conversations whether they even had taken in and really internalized what we need."

Despite rising ACA costs, Pitt-D'Andrea says she has been able to retain much of her experienced staff.