June 4 Child Care Provider Updates Large Family Child Care Checklist is Now Live! The Biennial Budget, 2025 Wisconsin Act 15, increased the capacity of licensed family child care programs to provide care and supervision for up to 12 children. The Department of Children and Families revised DCF 250, Administrative Rules for Licensed Family Child Care Centers to allow family child care programs to safely care for up to 12 children. These rules will go into effect on August 1, 2026. To help current family child care providers determine if they would be interested in increasing licensing capacity, DCF created a voluntary Large Family Child Care Checklist with key topics family providers need to consider before requesting an increase in licensed capacity. Please reach out to your assigned licensing specialist if you have any questions. The Large Family Child Care Checklist is available through the Child Care Licensing Forms & Publications webpage. As a reminder, licensed family providers cannot increase their capacity above eight children until August 1 and until their licensing specialist has approved the increase. Summer Measles Reminders – What You Need to Know Measles can be dangerous, especially for infants and young children. Ensuring the children in your facility are up-to-date on childhood vaccines is the best way to prevent measles and keep children healthy and in care. Encourage families who are not vaccinated to talk to a trusted health care provider about what vaccines their child may need. Families who are worried about the cost of vaccines may be eligible for the Vaccines for Children program. If there is a confirmed case of a communicable disease in a child enrolled at a regulated childcare program, it must be reported to DCF and your local health department within 24 hours after the program has been notified of the diagnosis. Learn more about the Measles vaccination and other vaccinations on the Department of Health Services (DHS) webpage. If you have any questions regarding measles, please contact your local public health department or tribal health center. If you have questions about licensing reporting requirements, please contact your assigned licensing specialist. May Child Care Bridge Payments Update Period is Closed The latest payment program update period is closed. Applications for the May Child Care Bridge Payments are being reviewed. Providers will be notified of their eligibility for funds by June 12, 2026, via a payment letter uploaded to the Child Care Provider Portal. May payment amounts will also be posted to the How Payments are Determined webpage on June 12. The next, and last, update/application period is June 20-28, 2026. Support Center Please send your questions to the Child Care Payments mailbox: DCFDECECOVID19CCPayments@wisconsin.gov and include your name, phone number, provider number, and details of your question in your email. A Support Center specialist will reply as soon as possible. Support Center hours are 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. M-F. Reminder: Child Care Bridge Payments End June 28, 2026 Reminder: The Child Care Bridge Payments (CCPB) end on June 28, 2026 and final payments will be posted on July 10, 2026. DCF encourages all eligible child care providers to continue submitting monthly applications through the end of the program. See program details on the CCBP webpage. Reminder: Free On-Demand Child Care Courses (English & Spanish) + Coaching Support Thriving Wisconsin, in partnership with the Wisconsin Child Care Resource & Referral (CCR&R) Network, is pleased to offer free, on-demand training courses in both English and Spanish. These courses are made possible through funding from the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families. Available now: Short on-demand courses with coaching support Licensing 101 Child Guidance Wisconsin Shares Together, these courses provide a strong foundation for operating a safe, high-quality, and state-compliant child care program. Providers who participate can also receive free coaching support to help apply what they learn and strengthen their programs. Access the courses on the CCR&R Network Learning Hub. Enroll today and start learning at your own pace! Upcoming Events and Education/Training Opportunities The below events are hosted by DCF, one of its partners, or is one that may be relevant to the early childhood field. Click/tap on the titles below to learn more about each event. Quality Conversations: Content Team: Safe Sleep Join YoungStar Connect for a supportive conversation about safe sleep practices for infants. Together, we’ll review recommended safe sleep guidelines, discuss common nap-time routines in early childhood settings, and reflect on ways to create safe, consistent, and supportive sleep environments. You’ll leave with practical strategies, helpful resources, and increased confidence in supporting safe sleep practices. Virtual session | June 17, 2026 | 1:30-2:30 p.m. Register through the Wisconsin Registry | Registration closes June 12, 2026 Questions? Contact Kim Yehle at kyehle@youngstarconnect.com. Madison College Early Childhood Educators Conference/Conferencia de Educación Infantil Please join us for Madison College’s Early Childhood Educators Conference, Relationships, Resilience, & Growth: Supporting Every Child’s Journey. Full-day ECE conference | English and Spanish tracks Saturday, June 20, 2026 | 8 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Madison College-Goodman South Campus | 2429 Perry St., Madison, Wisconsin Cost: $40 (includes lunch) Register online Questions? Please contact Mallory Braam at mbraam@madisoncollege.edu.
