Inclusive Birth to 3 Child Care Pilot – For Birth to 3 Program Service Coordinators The Inclusive Birth to 3 Child Care Pilot is a new DCF program. It supports the cost of child care for a limited number of children participating in the Department of Health Services’ (DHS) Birth to 3 Program. This initiative is funded by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). The funding is time-limited and runs from August 2022 through June 2024. Families participating in this program may receive up to 12 months of financial support towards the cost of care at their child care provider. Funds will be paid to the child care provider by DCF. Authorizations will be issued in Crawford, Grant, Green, Iowa, Jefferson, Lafayette, and Rock counties beginning in August 2022. On October 1, 2022, the program will expand statewide. Each child may receive an authorization for up to 12 months. No new children will be authorized after June 30, 2023. This program is not part of the Wisconsin Shares child care subsidy program and has different qualification requirements. The below frequently asked questions and answers support Birth to 3 Program Service Coordinators in their role in this program. For additional information see: Inclusive Birth to 3 Child Care Pilot Home Webpage for Providers Webpage for Parents Webpage for Local Agencies Additional Resources and FAQs Frequently Asked Questions for Birth to 3 Program Service Coordinators When will Birth to 3 Programs be able to send referrals for this pilot? Referrals will begin to be sent by pilot counties in the southern region on August 1, 2022, and statewide on October 1, 2022. How will families find out about this program? Families will receive a letter from the Birth to 3 Program informing them of the opportunity to participate in this program. How do families request a referral for this program? If interested in participating, the family will need to return the release of information form accompanying the letter to their county Birth to 3 Program. How will SCs know to send a referral through Program Participation System (PPS)? When an appropriately completed and signed release of information from the family is received, the SC will send a referral for the Inclusive Birth to 3 Child Care Pilot through PPS. How do SCs send a referral through PPS for a family interested in participating in this program? SCs will use PPS to make the referral. See the Birth to 3 Program PPS User Guide appendix A.
