Wisconsin Department of Children and Families - Division of Early Care and Education
Bureau of Early Care Regulation
Child Care Certification Policy Manual
The certification agency should take immediate action to address the threat of imminent danger. The initial response to complaints (or incidents) involving potential imminent danger should occur no later than the next day after the agency receives the complaint/incident.
The initial agency response might include actions such as:
Informing the appropriate CPS agency of alleged child abuse / neglect
Contacting other authorities, such as law enforcement, to intervene
Making an unannounced visit to the certified program to assess the need for action and / or sanction(s)
Phoning the certified operator to gather information to clarify the situation, and / or assess what should be done next
Once the potential risk of imminent danger to children has been addressed, or ruled out, the certification worker should develop an investigation plan and proceed with the investigation.
In situations where other agencies are involved in the investigation, the certification worker may have to wait for the other agency’s findings before developing his/her own investigation plan. This is especially true in cases of alleged child abuse or neglect.
4.2 Responding to a Complaint/Incident Not Requiring Immediate Attention
4.2.1 Desk Review - Responding to a Complaint/Incident by Phone
This page last updated 07/29/2015.