Licensed Child Care

Under Wisconsin law, no person may provide care and supervision or 4 or more children under the age of 7 for less that 24 hours a day unless that person obtains a license to operate a child care center from the Department.

This does not include a relative or guardian of a child who provides care and supervision for the child; a public or parochial school, a person employed to come to the home of the child's parent or guardian for less than 24 hours a day; or a county, city, village, town, school district or library that provides programs primarily intended for recreational or social purposes.

The Department of Children and Families (DCF) is the state agency responsible for licensing and ongoing monitoring of child care centers.

There are 3 different categories of state licensed child care:

• Licensed Family Child Care Centers provide care for up to 8 children.  This care is usually in the provider's home.
• Licensed Group Child Care Centers provide care for 9 or more children.  These centers are usually located somewhere other than a residence and may be small or large in size.
• Licensed Day Camps are seasonal programs that provide experiences for 4 or more children.  These programs usually operate in an outdoor setting.

County/Tribe Certified Child Care

There is a voluntary form of regulation in Wisconsin for those child care programs that are not required to be licensed.  This type of regulation is called certification.  Counties/Tribes certify child care homes and some school-age child care programs.  Certification is available for those families who wish to receive a child care subsidy, but who do not choose to use licensed care.  

Last Revised:  December 01, 2009