July 23 Child Care Provider Updates

Help Shape the Draft Wisconsin Early Learning and Development Guidelines!

We invite early childhood professionals, families, and the public to review and share feedback on the draft Wisconsin Early Learning and Development Guidelines (ELDG) by August 21. The files and survey link are available on the ELDG project website.

After the public review, Marzano Research will analyze the feedback and make final edits, then translate into Spanish and finalize the updated WI ELDGs. The Department of Children and Families, the Department of Public Instruction, and the Department of Health Services are grateful for your support.

Encourage Families to Request their Back-to-School Child Care Authorizations! 

Do you currently serve families using Wisconsin Shares subsidy? With back-to-school time fast approaching, this is a great time to encourage your families to use the Parent Portal to request their fall child care authorization.

Using the MyWIChildCare Parent Portal is a convenient way for your families to request authorizations. Parents can easily schedule an appointment (Milwaukee County only) at a time that works best for them and take care of other tasks related to their authorization!

Help us remind your families to use the Parent Portal for a fast and simple authorization process.

Here are a few things parents can do in the Parent Portal: 

  • View child care authorizations
  • Schedule an appointment for an authorization request (Milwaukee County only)
  • Request a new authorization or make changes to a current authorization
  • Check the balance on their MyWIChildCare EBT card and track payments
  • Sign up to receive a text message alerts on a cell phone when there are new messages in the Parent Portal
  • Track all authorization requests entered in the Parent Portal using the Track My Requests button

Please consider posting the Back-to-School child care reminder flyer (Milwaukee County only) where parents will see it or share it in your parent emails or monthly newsletter! Thank you for helping DCF share family-friendly approaches to managing their Wisconsin Shares subsidy.

Tuesday Talks – June Recording Now Available

Did you miss the June Tuesday Talks with DECE? The recording for the June talk is now available in the June 16, 2026 accordion on the Tuesday Talks with DECE Recordings webpage. This is where you can access all the resource links shared during the Talk as well. In June we discussed radon and reminders about child care in the summer.

Tuesday Talks with DECE are held the third Tuesday of each month at 1:30 p.m. The next webinar is Tuesday, August 18 at 1:30 p.m. Visit the DCF Tuesday Talks with DECE webpage to access the Zoom link and calendar invitation for the 2025 Tuesday Talks.

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.

  • Virtual - The Four-Step Approach to Handling Difficult Conversations (Spanish Only)
    • Managing difficult conversations can be challenging. The four-step approach offers strategies for promoting positive interactions with families that are collaborative, supportive, and focus on problem-solving. Participants will have the opportunity to practice these strategies and leave with strengthened communication skills that can be used personally and professionally.
    • Live session | Tuesday, August 4, 2026 | 12-2 p.m.
    • Register through the Wisconsin Registry | Registration closes on July 31, 2026.
    • Questions? Contact Maria Matrak at YoungStar Connect.
    • This is presented in Spanish. There will be no English interpretation available.

 

  • Northeastern Tour of Centers
    • The Tour of Centers provides the opportunity for child care providers to explore unique programs in the community and gather fresh ideas for classroom arrangements, wall displays, materials, resources, organization, and more! This year’s tour highlights four programs in Oshkosh and two programs in Winneconne.
    • Participants can earn 2 hours of continuing education credit from this event by visiting at least three tour locations. To register or learn more about the Tour of Centers, please visit Child Care Resource and Referral's website. View the tour flyer for complete details.
    • Thursday, August 13 | 5:45-8:30 p.m. | Oshkosh and Winneconne
    • Questions? Contact Liz at Fox Valley CCR&R.