November 14 Child Care Provider Updates November Child Care Counts Updates/Applications are Due Sunday, Nov. 19 Time is running short to complete required updates on your November Child Care Counts applications. The deadline is Sunday, November 19 at 11:59 p.m. If your program was previously not open or eligible for Child Care Counts in May, June, July, or August, you may now qualify to apply for the remainder of Round 3, beginning with the November application. See the November 9 listserv message for complete details. Update/Application Week Reminders You must review, update, and resubmit your application every month. See the Child Care Counts Calendar for future Count and Update Weeks. Review the Updating Your Child Care Counts Information During Update Week video to learn how to make application modifications during Update Week. View the Application Guide and Video for instructions on submitting a new Don’t miss out on this opportunity for Child Care Counts funds! Submit your application from November 11-19. Spending Deadline Reminder All Stabilization Payment Program Funds must be spent within 120 days of the payment letter date. The spending deadline for July 2023 funds is December 9, 2023. Questions? We’re here to help. Email DCFDECECOVID19CCPayments@wisconsin.gov or call and speak with a Support Center Specialist at 608-535-3650. Child Care Counts Información en español. Upcoming Changes to Child Care Foundational Trainings Over the last year, the Department of Children and Families (DCF) has worked on revising the noncredit Child Care Foundational Trainings (CCFT) that many providers complete to begin their career in child care. The purpose of the revision is to ensure all individuals entering the field are receiving consistent, high-quality trainings with real-time feedback and discussion with instructors and peers. Revisions to the trainings include content updates and changes in acceptable delivery formats. The current correspondence method of delivery will be updated to both face-to-face and interactive online methods to ensure trainings continue to be accessible. Here are key dates for this revision: The last day to register for any of the current trainings is May 31, 2024. The revisions will go into effect in June 2024. Correspondence trainings will no longer be offered after the revisions go into effect in 2024. July 31, 2024, is the last day to complete the current trainings. Reminder: Changes to COVID-19 Reporting Requirements The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) has announced that as of November 1, 2023, individual cases of COVID-19 are no longer considered a Category I reportable communicable disease unless a confirmed or probable case is associated with a hospitalization or pediatric death. Therefore, licensed child care programs are no longer required to report individual cases of COVID-19 to their Licensing Specialists and all regulated programs are no longer required to report to their local public health departments unless it is directly associated with a pediatric hospitalization or death. While individual cases will not be required to report, DHS is continuing to classify COVID-19 outbreaks as a Category I reportable condition. Learn more about how DHS defines “outbreak” and what licensed programs should report to your local health department. While reporting requirements are changing, exposure and isolation recommendations are remaining the same. DHS and DCF are currently working to update all COVID-19-associated webpages to reflect this new information. If you have any questions, please reach out to your assigned Licensing Specialist or regional licensing office. Helpful Links Wisconsin Department of Health Services COVID-19 Memo Child Care Licensing Contacts DHS Local Public Health Contacts Changes to Wisconsin Registry Profile Requirements To ensure the Wisconsin Registry contains accurate data, beginning February 1, 2024, programs will not be able to add new staff to the Classroom Tab of a Program Profile if they do not meet preliminary licensing qualifications for age, work history, education, training, and verification of high school completion. When this change goes into effect, existing staff who do not meet preliminary licensing qualifications will remain in the Program Profile. An indicator will appear on the Classroom Tab in the Program Profile if they do not qualify for the position as required by DCF licensing. Child care programs should take these steps before this change goes into effect: Review the Classroom Qualifications or the Staff Preliminary Position Qualification Reports to determine if you have staff in positions where they do not meet preliminary licensing qualifications. Speak to any staff this affects and develop a plan for resolving any issues. Review the Reviewing Registry Profiles Position Qualifications guide on the Registry website for more information. For questions about Individual Membership or Program Profile Maintenance, contact the Wisconsin Registry at 608-222-1123 ext. 4 or support@wiregistry.org. DCF is Hiring The Division of Early Care and Education, Bureau of Early Care Regulation, is recruiting to fill a Section Manager position in their western region. This position is a professional supervisory position responsible for providing management, supervision, coordination, and leadership in the implementation of regulatory activities and quality assurance of regulated childcare programs. This position is responsible for overseeing the licensing and monitoring of family and group child care programs, day camps and license-exempt public-school programs in Wisconsin’s western counties. This position is headquartered at our 610 Gibson Street, Eau Claire office. The deadline to apply for this position is November 19, 2023. View all open DCF positions at Wisc.Jobs.
