Supporting child care providers serving 4-year-olds Información en español Making sure children have the skills to thrive in school and in life is important. Starting in 2026, Get Kids Ready is a new school readiness initiative to support licensed and certified child care providers serving 4-year-olds. Child care providers who meet the eligibility criteria and decide to participate will receive payments for each eligible child participating in their school readiness program. Additional information will be shared through the DCF Child Care Provider Listserv, Tuesday Talks, and this webpage. Important Dates The school year for Get Kids Ready is defined as July 1 - June 30. The table below outlines important dates for the 2026-27 school year. Program Enrollment Timeline Open Close Step 1: Intent to Participate January 6 February 1 DCF to post list of child care providers who submitted an Intent to Participate to website by February 15 Step 2: Program Eligibility Verification Application April 6 May 15 Notification of eligibility status (rolling basis) by June 2 DCF to post finalized list of child care providers who are eligible to participate to website June 2 Step 3: Payment Application Periods See chart below Payment Application Periods Timeline Service Period Application Period Count Period Payment Date July-September 2026 9/1-9/20/2026 8/17-9/11/2026 9/30/2026 October-November 2026 11/2-11/18/2026 10/12-11/16/2026 11/30/2026 December 2026 - February 2027 2/2-2/17/2027 1/11-2/5/2027 2/26/2027 March-June 2027 5/3-5/19/2027 4/12-5/7/2027 5/28/2027 Overview of Get Kids Ready for Child Care Providers Yearly Program Get Kids Ready will run every year with child care providers offering school readiness programming between July 1 and June 30. Cost to Families The Get Kids Ready program is free to families. Child care providers cannot charge families for Get Kids Ready instruction. Participating providers will receive state funding for those hours. Child care providers can charge families for additional time that children are in care beyond the Get Kids Ready instruction hours. Eligibility for Children A child is eligible to participate if: They are 4-years-old on or before September 1 of the school year they plan to participate The child’s parent or guardian submits a Child Application to a participating provider A participating child care provider has accepted the Child Application to attend Get Kids Ready Process Overview Intent to Participate – Child care providers must submit an Intent to Participate in Get Kids Ready between January 5 and February 1, 2026. The Intent to Participate signifies interest in participating in the Get Kids Ready program along with understanding of the Get Kids Ready application requirements. Program Eligibility Verification Application – After submitting an Intent to Participate, child care providers must then submit materials to verify they meet the Get Kids Ready program eligibility requirements. This Program Eligibility Verification Application will open in April and must be submitted by May 15, 2026. Eligibility Notification – DCF will notify all providers who submitted verification of their eligibility determination no later than June 2, 2026. Payment Applications – Child care providers determined eligible to participate in Get Kids Ready by DCF must submit four (4) Payment Applications throughout the year for each Service Period they wish to receive payment for: September 1-20, 2026 (covering the service period of July, August, and September) November 2-18, 2026 (covering the service period of October and November) February 2-17, 2027 (covering the service period of December, January, and February) May 3-19, 2027 (covering the service period of March, April, May, and June) Definition of Terms Count Period The point in time for which child, teacher, and eligibility information is collected for payment calculations. Enrollment A child is considered enrolled in Get Kids Ready if they have a completed, provider-accepted Child Application on file with the provider, they are enrolled with the intent to attend at least 437 hours of Get Kids Ready instruction offered by the provider, and they attend Get Kids Ready at that provider at least one day during the count period. Note: A child that enrolls at the child care provider mid-way through the Get Kids Ready school year can be considered enrolled for the relevant Service Period as long as they are enrolled with the intent to attend all Get Kids Ready instruction and meet the other criteria listed above. Good Standing The term good standing means a provider is in compliance with all legal, financial, and regulatory requirements imposed by law or department rule, including the following: In compliance with child care background check requirements. Regulated and in compliance with administrative rules for child care providers as outlined by the DCF Bureau of Early Care Regulation (BECR) and are not currently subject to a revocation, suspension, or denial of a license or certification. Currently repaying any overpayment or in compliance with any Repayment Agreement, if any Wisconsin Shares, Partner Up!, Child Care Counts, or Child Care Bridge Payments overpayments are owed. Intent to Participate The form a child care provider submits by February 1, in the Provider Portal, to signal their intent to participate in Get Kids Ready for the upcoming school year. The Intent to Participate collects the child care program’s contact information and the maximum number of slots a child care provider intends to make available for Get Kids Ready. Information collected from the Intent to Participate will be posted publicly on DCF’s website. Providers must also acknowledge that they understand and will meet the requirements of the program. Payment Application The application a child care provider submits to request payment during each Service Period. This application verifies that the provider has met all application requirements for the Service Period, including child enrollment information. Payment Days The days when DCF issues payment for each Service Period. Providers will receive a payment letter that indicates amount paid on the payment date. Program For purposes of Get Kids Ready, a child care program is defined as an individual child care program location. Program Eligibility Verification Application The application a child care provider completes to confirm their program location meets all eligibility requirements to participate in the Get Kids Ready program. The application collects information about the program schedule, curriculum, staff qualifications, and compliance with program standards. This is completed annually after the provider submits their Intent to Participate, but before the start of the school year. School Year The school year for Get Kids Ready runs yearly from July 1 - June 30. Service Period There are four Service Periods throughout the school year which payments will be distributed for. Service Periods are: July-September October-November December- February March-June Application Requirements Read the Application Requirements for Get Kids Ready. Estimated Per-Child Payment Range After the close of the Get Kids Ready Program Eligibility Verification Application, DCF has determined the estimated per-child funding range for participation in the 2026-27 school year to be $3,600-$ 7,045. The bottom of the range is based on nearly 900 providers submitting their Program Eligibility Verification Application and a maximum enrollment of nearly 18,000 4-year-olds. However, payment amounts will be based on actual enrollment reported during each Payment Application, which will likely be lower than the reported number of slots to some degree. Please review the below table for examples of what this could mean: Percent of Reported Maximum Slots Filled Estimated Number of Children Enrolled for School Year 2026-27 Estimated Per-Child Amount for School Year 2026-27 Estimated Per-Child Amount for each Payment Application Period 90% 16,200 $4,000 $1,000 75% 13,500 $4,800 $1,200 60% 10,800 $6,000 $1,500 Note: These are just examples of what payment amounts could look like. Final per-child payment amounts will be determined at each Payment Application. This means the per-child payment amount could be different in September, November, February, and May. Eligibility Requirements for Child Care Providers In order to participate in Get Kids Ready, certified and licensed child care providers are eligible if they: Are in compliance with all legal, financial, and regulatory requirements imposed by law or by department rule Will provide at least 437 hours of instruction in elementary school readiness per school year Use a curriculum that meets the Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standards (WMELS) Do not have a contract with a school district to provide 4K for the school year in which the provider intends to participate in Get Kids Ready Have lead teachers with an associate degree or bachelor’s degree delivering all Get Kids Ready instruction How to Apply Child care providers who wish to participate in Get Kids Ready, will need to submit information to DCF at various times throughout the school year to be determined eligible and receive payments. If any of the below deadlines are missed, the child care provider either may not be able to participate in that school year or they may not receive payments. Learn more about each form and application below by clicking on the titles: Intent to Participate – Child care providers must submit an Intent to Participate in Get Kids Ready between January 5 and February 1, 2026. The Intent to Participate signifies interest in participating in the Get Kids Ready program along with understanding of the Get Kids Ready application requirements. Program Eligibility Verification Application – After submitting an Intent to Participate, child care providers must then submit materials to verify they meet the Get Kids Ready program eligibility requirements. This Program Eligibility Verification Application will open in April and must be submitted by May 15, 2026. Eligibility Notification – DCF will notify all providers who submitted verification of their eligibility determination no later than June 2, 2026. Payment Applications – Child care providers determined eligible to participate in Get Kids Ready by DCF must submit four (4) Payment Applications throughout the year for each Service Period they wish to receive payment for: September 1-20, 2026 (covering the service period of July, August, and September) November 2-18, 2026 (covering the service period of October and November) February 2-17, 2027 (covering the service period of December, January, and February) May 3-19, 2027 (covering the service period of March, April, May, and June) Enrolling Families Eligibility for Children A child is eligible to participate if: They are 4-years-old on or before September 1 of the school year they plan to participate The child’s parent or guardian submits a Child Application to a participating provider A participating child care provider has accepted the Child Application to attend Get Kids Ready Note: A child that enrolls at the child care provider mid-way through the Get Kids Ready school year can be considered enrolled for the relevant Service Period as long as they are enrolled with the intent to attend all Get Kids Ready instruction and meet the other criteria listed above. Cost to Families The Get Kids Ready program is free to families. Child care providers cannot charge families for Get Kids Ready instruction. Participating providers will receive state funding for those hours. Child care providers can charge families for additional time that children are in care beyond the Get Kids Ready instruction hours. Child care providers can charge an enrollment fee for general administrative expenses to children who only participate in Get Kids Ready, not any other care. Reminder: Child care providers cannot charge fees such as snack, field trip, or supply fees for that are specific to participation in Get Kids Ready. Participating providers will receive state funding for costs associated with Get Kids Ready instruction. Providers can charge fees to children participating in Get Kids Ready for hours or activities outside of Get Kids Ready hours. Enrollment A child is considered enrolled in Get Kids Ready if they: Have a completed, provider-accepted Child Application on file with the provider Are enrolled with the intent to attend 437 hours of Get Kids Ready instruction offered by the provider (see the example below) Attend Get Kids Ready at that provider at least one day during the Count Period Example: If a child care provider schedules their Get Kids Ready program to deliver instruction daily, Monday through Friday, a child who is enrolled to attend only Tuesday and Thursday could not be considered enrolled in Get Kids Ready. However, a child can be considered enrolled if they are enrolled in Get Kids Ready Monday through Friday but miss days, such as sick or vacation days. Note: A child that enrolls at the child care provider mid-way through the Get Kids Ready school year can be considered enrolled for the relevant Service Period as long as they are enrolled with the intent to attend all Get Kids Ready instruction and meet the other criteria listed above. Child Application Child care providers will need to have a completed, provider-accepted Child Application on file for each child participating in their Get Kids Ready program. Note: Child care providers must use the provided DCF Child Application (DCF-F-5932). However, they should not send completed applications to DCF. They should retain the applications for their own records and for at least five (5) years from the date of the last payment under Get Kids Ready payment in the event of an audit. Wisconsin Shares Get Kids Ready hours may be included in the child’s Wisconsin Shares authorization. Participating Child Care Providers View the publicly posted list of all participating child care providers, contact information, and the number of spaces available. Payments and Use of Funds How Payments are Determined The maximum amount a child care provider participating in Get Kids Ready could receive per participating child is $7,045 for the 2026-27 school year. The actual payment amount child care providers will receive per participating child may be lower than $7,045 and will be determined by dividing $65 million, which is the funding allocated for the program per year, by the number of participating children. If $65 million is not enough to fund all participating children at the maximum amount of $7,045, law requires that DCF prorates (i.e. decreases) the per-child payment amount so that child care providers get payment for all participating children. Actual per-child funding amounts will be determined based on the number of children reported during Payment Applications submitted in September 2026, November 2026, February 2027, and May 2027. Use of Funds Child care providers may use Get Kids Ready funds for any costs associated with providing the Get Kids Ready program. Examples of program costs include: Salaries and benefits for teachers for time spent providing Get Kids Ready instruction. Costs associated with providing classroom space for the program, including rent and maintenance. Supplies used in classrooms during program hours or by children while participating in the program. Meals provided to children during program hours. Technology, including internet costs and child information systems or family communication software licenses and subscriptions, to the extent the portion of the costs are associated with the program. Administrative costs, including a portion of the center director’s salary associated with administering the program. Resources Provider Portal Resources Accessing the Child Care Provider Portal See the Accessing the Child Care Provider Portal guide and Accessing the Child Care Provider Portal video for instructions on how to request access and log in to the Child Care Provider Portal. You may also visit the Accessing the Child Care Provider Portal webpage. Payment Application Submission Guide Check out the Payment Application Submission Guide for instructions on how to submit your Payment Application in the Child Care Provider Portal. Participation Process Overview Access the Get Kids Ready Participation Process Overview as a guide to completing each step of the Get Kids Ready application process. Sample and Template Schedules DCF created both sample and template schedules that child care providers can use: Get Kids Ready Sample Schedules – this Excel workbook shows sample Get Kids Ready schedules. The schedules are shown using the optional templates designed by DCF (below). Each program is different and child care providers are encouraged to create schedule that works best for their program. Get Kids Ready Schedule Templates – These are two examples of optional templates that child care providers can use to fill out and upload during the Program Eligibility Verification Application. Child care providers may also develop their own templates and upload those instead. Promotional Materials DCF developed a Get Kids Ready Media Kit to help partner organizations and child care providers share information about Get Kids Ready. Use this media kit to help promote your program's participation in Get Kids Ready to your current families or to recruit new families. Early Childhood Mixed Delivery System Options* for 4-Year-Olds in Wisconsin Parents have options when it comes to care and education for their 4-year-olds. View an overview of options for 4-year-olds and access links to learn more about each. Technical Assistance Resources DCF has several partner organizations who provide direct support to child care providers which can help with preparing and planning for Get Kids Ready. View a full list of Technical Assistance organizations on our website. Below are some specific organizations that may be helpful with Get Kids Ready: Budgeting, Billing Practices, and Schedule Development Submit a WEESSN Advice on the Go form. Additional supports may be available through WEESSN and can be found on the WEESSN website. Curriculum That Meets WMELS Child care providers participating in YoungStar can view resources on the YoungStar Connect webpage and contact their YoungStar coach. Contact your local Child Care Resource & Referral Agency. Staff Support / Meeting Lead Teacher Degree Requirements The Wisconsin Early Childhood Association offers Career Development Counseling. Contact CareerDevelopment@wisconsinearlychildhood.org. TEACH Early Childhood® Wisconsin, which offers scholarships to early childhood educators to make credit-based education more affordable. Appeals and Audits Appeals Child care providers may request a review of DCF's decision to deny either their Program Eligibility Verification Application or Payment Application: File a written request for review with the Division of Early Care and Education. You must state clearly and specifically what you believe was incorrect in this decision. Pleaseattach any relevant documentation to support your claim. A Request for Review form is available to assist with requesting a review. The review will be limited to the statement and supporting documentation you submit, unless the reviewing authority has questions or seeks clarification from you. We strongly encourage you to submit your request for review via email to dcfgetkidsready@wisconsin.gov to avoid any delays in reviewing your request. The subject line of your email should say Get Kids Ready Review Request. If you are unable to submit your request via email, you may submit it, along with any supporting documentation, by fax to (608) 266-5473 or via U.S. Mail to: Wisconsin Department of Children and FamiliesBCCSA/OPAPO Box 8916Madison, WI 53708-8916 Requests for review must be emailed, faxed, or postmarked no later than 10 calendardays after the date of the denial letter. Audits Child care providers should keep all original documentation supporting their Program Eligibility Verification Application and Payment Applications, including verification of the following: All children enrolled in Get Kids Ready meet the age-based eligibility for participation, and the provider retains the child application form for each child. Evidence, such as a schedule, that the provider provided at least 437 hours of instruction in elementary school readiness per school year. Evidence, such as child attendance records, that participating children were enrolled with the intent to attend all Get Kids Ready instruction offered by the provider and that they attended Get Kids Ready at the provider at least one day during the count period. Evidence, such as financial records, that the provider did not charge tuition for Get Kids Ready instructional hours or fees for Get Kids Ready programming. Evidence, such as a Wisconsin Registry Certificate, transcript, or diploma, that Get Kids Ready lead teachers hold an associate or bachelor’s degree. Evidence, such as documentation of meeting the Developmentally Appropriate Environments indicator from YoungStar, accreditation, being a Head Start program, or answers to the “Other” WMELS demonstration questions in the Program Eligibility Verification Application, that the provider implemented a curriculum that meets the Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standards (WMELS). Providers must retain all original documentation for at least five (5) years from the date of the last payment under Get Kids Ready program. Frequently Asked Questions Please read through the Frequently Asked Questions for more information. Contact Information Still have questions? Please submit a Get Kids Ready Inquiry form.
