Wisconsin Department of Children and Families - Division of Early Care and Education
Bureau of Early Care Regulation
Child Care Licensing Procedure Manual
If the continuation materials and licensing fees have not been received by five (5) days after the license continuation review date, a regional program associate is responsible for generating and issuing the License Continuation Past Due Warning Notice. The past due letter is sent to the licensee via certified and regular U.S. mail.
The past due notice indicates that a licensed center that fails to pay the required fees by the license continuation review date is assessed a late fee for up to 30 calendar days. Wis. Stat. § 48.65(3) requires that an additional fee is charged when the licensing fees are not paid by the license continuation date of a regular license. The late fee is $5.00 per day for every day past the due date, including weekend days. The number of days the fee is deemed late is determined by the postmark on the envelope or the date the fee payment is personally delivered. The past due letter also states that pursuant to Wis. Stat. § 48.66(5), if the licensee fails to apply for continuance of the license within 30 days of receipt of the warning letter, the department may revoke the license as provided in Wis. Stat. §§ 48.715(4) and (4m)(b).
If the required fees and application materials have not been received by 35 days after the license continuation review date, the Revocation - Incomplete Application is issued to the licensee via certified and regular mail.
Note that when a revocation due to incomplete application materials is entered into WISCCRS, the category status is not changed until an appeal is received or the appeal timeframe has passed (14 days after issue date). The regional program associate sends a revocation notification to the appropriate local Shares agency and the Bureau of Child Care Subsidy Administration and the Bureau of YoungStar (and other partner agencies as appropriate), stating, “Attached is the above-referenced enforcement that was sent via certified and regular mail on DATE ISSUED to FACILITY NAME (LICENSEE NAME). The revocation will remain open until the appeal time frame has passed. If an appeal is not received, they will be closed out 14 days after the revocation issue date of DATE ISSUED. If an appeal is received, the provider will remain open until the appeal process is complete.”
If there are extenuating circumstances (e.g., illness) preventing the licensee from submitting the continuation materials within 35 days of the license continuation review date, BECR may accept the continuation materials, licensing fee and the assessed late fees rather than close the facility. These situations are assessed on a case-by-case basis and must be approved by the licensing manager/licensing supervisor.
If a facility closes or is closed while still owing any outstanding late fees, the facility is responsible for payment of those fees should they reapply for licensure at a later date.
This page last updated 09/2021.