Wisconsin Department of Children and Families - Division of Early Care and Education

Bureau of Early Care Regulation

Child Care Certification Policy Manual

6 - New / Initial Site Visit

The first or initial site visit is typically scheduled with the applicant and usually takes several hours because the certification worker must make sure that the applicant is aware of the expectations and understands the intent of the rules and applicable statues, as well as conducting an inspection of the entire premise.

As mentioned previously, DCF 202 gives the certification worker has authority and responsibility to inspect the entire premises to ensure it meets certification standards. A premise or “premises”, as defined in DCF 202, is the tract of land on which the home used for child care is located, including all buildings and structures on that land.

The initial visit is used to verify the child care program / operator is in compliance with all of the applicable rules and statutes. During the initial visit, technical assistance is also typically provided in order to assist the applicant in the field / profession of early care and education. During the initial visit, the certification worker uses the Standards and Checklist to review the following:

• DCF 202 certification standards and applicable statutes

• Available equipment / materials

• All rooms / spaces used by children

• Entire premise

• Required forms and paperwork used by the operator (recommend bringing the applicant 2-3 sets of blank forms used for children in care)

• Vehicle requirements if applicable

• Training requirements the applicant has not completed pre-service training

The location (premises / site) where the care will be provided must be inspected and found to comply with all applicable standards in DCF 202 prior to granting the initial (or relocation) certificate. Monitoring results for initial visits must be documented using the Standards and Checklist. Granting the Certificate of Approval indicates the applicant / site has met certification standards. If the applicant / site does not meet certification standards, the Certificate of Approval is not granted until the rules are met.

See Module 7, Section 8 - Standards and Checklist for additional requirements.

Although monitoring results can be documented in WISCCRS for initial (and relocation) visits, noncompliance statements and compliance statements shall not be issued for initial (or relocation) site visits. This means that the certification worker may choose to document rules “met” () while conducting the initial (relocation) visit but should not check the “unmet”/violation button () for rules not yet met. If the worker mistakenly checks “unmet” for an initial (or relocation) visit, the violation will be posted on the public search website and becomes part of the certification compliance record (prior to the applicant being certified). Instead, use the Standards and Checklist to document the rule as “not met”, leave the rule “blank” in WISCCRS to draw attention to rules not yet met, prior to granting certification. Remember, the applicant needs to meet all standards prior to granting regulatory approval. See Sections 10 and 12 for additional information on documenting compliance / noncompliance.

Monitoring visits that take place after the granting initial (or relocation) certification will result in either a noncompliance or compliance statement that is issued to the operator, typically within 10 business days. See Sections 10 and 12 for guidance regarding noncompliance and compliance statements.

COVID-19 Update

See Module 7 - Monitoring, Section 1 - Overview for updated COVID-19 guidance.

This page last updated 06/2024.