February 10 Child Care Provider Updates During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of Children and Families (DCF) Division of Early Care and Education (DECE) will send updates to everyone who has subscribed to the DCF Child Care listserv. DCF Announces Additional $194 Million Investment in Early Care and Education The Wisconsin Department of Children and Families (DCF) announced plans for additional programs aimed at supporting Wisconsin’s early care and education (ECE) industry and the families it serves. The programs, which are funded through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), will run until 2024 and focus on increasing access to high-quality, affordable child care and supporting the ECE workforce. “We appreciate the commitment of the Governor and the Joint Committee on Finance to address the challenges facing child care providers and families. Wisconsin has made an unprecedented investment in the early care and education industry, which has stabilized it to almost pre-pandemic levels,” said DCF Secretary Emilie Amundson. “These additional programs will help us continue to build upon that momentum and build a stronger ECE system that supports all Wisconsin families.” DCF submitted a formal request to the Joint Committee on Finance (JFC) outlining its proposed programs and received an amended approval on February 9, 2022. See the press release for complete details. February 14-18 is Child Care Counts Application/Update Week The February application/update week is next week, February 14-18. Prepare to update your staff and child records as needed next week. You will be notified of your eligibility for January funds by tomorrow, February 11, 2022, via a payment letter uploaded to the Child Care Provider Portal. See the Child Care Counts Calendar for future Count and Application Weeks. What’s New? We’ve updated the Spending Tool in our Resources section to include all months from November 2021 through July 2022. This tool is designed to help you keep track of how funds received from the Child Care Counts: Stabilization Payment Program were spent. Download the Excel file today to help you track your expenses. Note: funds must be spent within 120 days of the date of your payment letter as stated in the Terms and Conditions. How Payments are Determined has been updated to show the January and February payment dates and amounts. Note: January is the last month to include the temporary $10 increase Per-Child Payment Amount through Program A. This increase applies ONLY to the December and January payments and will be discontinued as of the February payment. See the updated Provider Informational Training Module in the Resources section as your all-in-one guide to Child Care Counts. See the new FAQs about YoungStar Quality Incentive payments through Child Care Counts. If you need help or have questions about your Payment Program status, please email DCFDECECOVID19CCPayments@wisconsin.gov or call and leave your detailed questions at 608-535-3650. Check out our recently updated Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) to get answers to your questions. Child Care Counts Información en español. Available COVID-19 Resources for Child Care, Head Start, and School-Age Programming Information on Resources for Accessing Adult Masks and Testing Options N95 Masks for Adults Programs can access N95 masks for staff in two ways: Requesting masks from the DHS Stockpile through local public health departments. Checking with local pharmacies participating in the federal retail program who will soon be receiving federal allocations of masks to distribute for free. CLIA Waiver Process to Receive Rapid Tests Through DHS Child Care, Head Start and School Age programs can order rapid antigen tests from DHS. When ordering rapid antigen tests from DHS, you will need to submit your CLIA Certificate of Waiver number. To obtain a CLIA Certificate of Waiver, you will need to submit a completed application to dhsdqaclia@dhs.wisconsin.gov To learn more, watch the June 24, 2021 Testing in Licensed and Certified Child Care Programs webinar. CDC Expanded Testing Program Another testing option is available to ECE programs, federally, through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC’s Operation Expanded Testing (OpET) program increases access to testing nationwide, especially for communities that have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. OpET provides no-cost testing to child care centers, K-12 schools, historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), under-resourced communities, and congregate settings, such as homeless shelters, domestic violence and abuse shelters, non-federal correctional facilities, and other qualified sites. OpET can perform millions of tests through July 1, 2022. These contractor-provided laboratory services include specimen collection supplies, shipping materials, laboratory testing, and results reporting. The recipient sites contribute staff to collect specimens To enroll your facility into OpET’s no-cost screening testing program, visit the Midwest Hub and enroll your school, child care center, shelter, or other congregate care setting. If you have questions, refer to the CDC OpET page for additional information on enrollment. For up-to-date information about Wisconsin’s COVID-19 response, visit the DHS COVID-19 webpage. Project Growth Grant Program Application Dates Announced Start getting ready to apply for one or both of Project Growth’s grant programs: Partner Up! and Dream Up! Grant applications for both programs will open February 28 and close April 4. Learn more about each program below and on the Project Growth website. Partner Up! Grant ProgramSupporting Families Together Association (SFTA), in partnership with Wisconsin’s nine Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies (CCR&Rs), will administer the Partner Up! grant program. The Partner Up! grant program will provide $10 million in funding to support partnerships between essential businesses who purchase slots at existing regulated child care providers, with matched funding from DCF. These slots will be funded for the full amount of the state’s true cost of care. The funding will be awarded to businesses based on existing community child care needs throughout Wisconsin. This program can be used to increase staff compensation, pay expenses, reserve full and part time child care slots for local business employees, improve the quality of a child care program, and more. Note: applications submitted for the Partner Up! grant by March 14, will be given priority consideration. Learn more about Partner Up! Dream Up! Grant ProgramDCF is working with First Children’s Finance to administer the Project Growth: Dream Up! grant program. The Dream Up! grants will offer $8.1 million to support 30 communities around the state over the next two years. Through a collaborative community approach, teams will work to evaluate, plan, sustain existing child care, and expand it in areas where there is need. Learn more about Dream Up! You can also help share the programs on social media platforms, by email, and through other channels using the Project Growth Media Bundle. Learn more and sign up for updates. If you have questions, email wipdg@wisconsin.gov for more information.
