Wisconsin Department of Children and Families - Division of Early Care and Education
Bureau of Early Care Regulation
Child Care Certification Policy Manual
Once an investigation is complete, the certification worker may draft a Complaint/Incident Investigation Summary Letter. The purpose of this letter is to communicate the investigation findings and recommendations to the certified operator and, if requested, the complainant. A template is available on the Certification SharePoint site, however, use of the template is optional. It is best practice for the certification worker to send information on the results of the investigation to the operator within 20 business days of the conclusion of the investigation, when possible.
For each alleged administrative rule violation, the complaint investigation summary letter should indicate whether the alleged violation is substantiated or unsubstantiated. The letter should also specify whether a Noncompliance Statement (DCF-F-CFS294) was issued at the time of the investigation visit, is being issued with the letter, is not necessary, or is being issued for a rule violation(s) unrelated to the complaint.
If warranted, the certification worker should issue a Noncompliance Statement and Correction Plan (DCF-F-CFS294), generated by entering violation data in WISCCRS. Print this form and send to the operator with the Complaint Investigation Summary Letter and, if requested, to the complainant.
Copies of the Complaint Investigation Summary Letter and, if applicable, the 294 may be filed in the operator file and / or in WISCCRS. See the WISCCRS User Guide- Documents for additional information regarding uploading documents.
Note: Issuing a 294 to the operator may not be appropriate if the agency intends on revoking certification or denying an application for recertification when the basis is, in part, due to the complaint/incident finding. Refer to Instructions for Documenting Noncompliance / Compliance for additional guidance found on the Certification SharePoint site (under Certification Resources – 294 Noncompliance).
This page last updated 07/29/2015.