Wisconsin Department of Children and Families - Division of Early Care and Education
Bureau of Early Care Regulation
Child Care Certification Policy Manual
When the certification agency receives a complete application for certification, the certification worker must enter the application into WISCCRS, if they have not done so previously. Once the application is approved, the certification worker will assign a category or type of regulatory approval (i.e. Provisional vs. Regular or In-home Provisional vs. In-home Regular).
In addition to the category, the certification worker must also identify:
Ages or age range the operator is certified to care for (see Section 3.9 of this Module)
Number of children the operator is certified to care for (See Module 6 - Supervision)
Hours of operation (see Module 6 - Supervision)
Any conditions on the certificate of approval (see Section 3.10 of this Module)
Keep in mind, effective 4/1/18 a Provisional certification may be granted for a period not to exceed six (6) months. The certificate acknowledges the operator and premises meets certification standards. If an operator moves to a different home / location, the operator’s qualifications are transferable, but the operator needs to submit a relocation application and the home / premise must be reassessed at the new location (see Section 3.12 Relocation for additional guidance).
See the WISCCRS User Guide – Creating New Providers Record for adding a new category and details regarding printing the certificate of approval.
The certificate of approval may be signed by the certification worker or other person in the agency whose duties include determination of eligibility for child care certification. A copy of the signed certificate shall be provided to the certified operator. The operator must display the certificate in an area easily seen by parents / visitors in accordance with DCF 202.08(12)(e).
If the application is not approved see Module 9 – Sanctions for more information and the WISCCRS User Guide – Creating New Provider Records for instructions regarding “Decision”.
If the circumstances of a certificate change, the certificate must be re-issued, indicating the correct information and the effective begin date that reflects the change in circumstance. The certification worker shall print and provide the operator with a signed copy of the certificate. A change in circumstance could include any of the following:
Category / regulation type change (i.e. Provisional to Regular)
Restrictions added or eliminated from the certification
Operator name change
Change in hours of operation
Ages served
Recertification (see Section 3.11)
Relocation / change in address (See Section 3.12).
See WISCCRS User Guide – Various Changes in Provider / Facility Records for additional information.
Only one applicant / operator can apply for and be granted regulatory approval for each family residence. The operator may hire a helper, substitute or an employee to assist with the child care operation (background checks and approval must be granted before work commences). Only one operator will be included on the Certificate of Approval.
3.6.2 Backdating Certification
3.6.3 Shaken Baby Syndrome Prevention (SBS) and Backdating Certification
This page last updated 01/2020.