Información en español Wisconsin Shares Policy Changes Fall 2023 For Child Care Providers As of October 1, 2023, changes have been made to the Wisconsin Shares child care subsidy program in an effort to comply with federal regulations and to improve family-friendly approaches to the program. There are two major changes to the program: Subsidy changed from an hourly amount to a part-time or full-time amount. Families have the opportunity to request funds to pay for registration fees. Return to Wisconsin Shares Policy Changes Fall 2023 homepage. Subsidy Changes Previously, a child’s authorization was based on a specific number of average weekly hours. As of October 1, parents receive a part-time or full-time subsidy amount based on their average weekly child care need. If a child is authorized for 20 weekly hours or less, the family will receive a part-time monthly subsidy amount. If a child is authorized for more than 20 weekly hours, the family will receive a full-time monthly subsidy. These changes will happen automatically. Funds will continue to be loaded to their MyWIChildCare EBT card. What Do You Need to Do? Be sure you have an updated Provider/Parent Written Payment Agreement for each Wisconsin Shares family at the location where care is provided Make sure your prices and fees are up-to-date in the Child Care Provider Portal The full-time/part-time method might not align with how your program defines part-time and full-time. You do not need to make any changes to your program or the amount you charge parents for these changes. Subsidy Examples Please see the examples on the Wisconsin Shares Policy Changes Fall 2023 – For Parents/Caregivers webpage. Frequently Asked Questions Please read through the Fall 2023 Subsidy Change Frequently Asked Questions for more information. Registration Fees The department also began paying limited registration fees. Only parents who have Wisconsin Shares authorizations to the provider are eligible to request funds to pay provider registration fees. Parents with authorizations will be able to request funds to pay registration fees for the provider’s price up to $125 twice in a 12-month period. Starting in December 2023, there must be a fee amount entered in our system before parents can receive the additional funds. Make sure your prices and fees are up-to-date in the Child Care Provider Portal. Frequently Asked Questions Please read through the Registration Fee Frequently Asked Questions for more information. Resources Tuesday Talks with DECE In the fall of 2023, DCF held two Tuesday Talks with time dedicated to Wisconsin Shares and these subsidy and registration changes. Access these recordings on the Tuesday Talks webpage. Parent/Provider Flyers Providers - Please help us communicate these changes to parents by distributing the below flyer (color version or black and white version) to your parents and/or posting it in common areas. Download the full color version Download the black and white version Descargue la versión en inglés a todo color Descargue la versión en inglés en blanco y negro If you have questions, contact your local agency.
