Wisconsin Department of Children and Families - Division of Early Care and Education
Bureau of Early Care Regulation
Child Care Licensing Procedure Manual
BECR may receive one or more complaints in addition to a center’s self-report regarding the same incident. In determining whether the self-report and the complaint can be linked as related in WISCCRS, the licensing specialist must consult with the licensing manager/licensing supervisor to make a determination as to whether a self-report and a complaint are identical. Because all circumstances and details must be identical in order to link a complaint with a self-report, it will be rare to link the two. Usually, the self-report and the complaint are entered into WISCCRS as two separate items. When the center’s self-report and the complaint are identical, however, the two items can be linked and complaint procedures are followed.
The following self-report situations must be investigated as new complaints rather than only recorded as a self-report:
When BECR receives allegations of rule violations from a third party (Child Protective Services (CPS), law enforcement or a member of the public), the allegations are recorded and investigated as a new complaint, regardless of whether the provider has also submitted a self-report describing the incident.
When CPS or law enforcement notifies BECR about an incident prior to the licensee’s self-report, the incident is recorded and investigated as a new complaint.
If BECR discovers that CPS has failed to inform BECR of an ongoing or completed investigation of an incident that should have been self-reported and there may be potential rule violations, it is recorded and investigated as a new complaint.
If information provided to BECR by the third party seems to contradict the circumstances reported by the provider in a self-report, the third party report is recorded and investigated as a new complaint.
If there is not enough information known by BECR to determine whether a third party report should be recorded as a separate complaint or as supplemental information to the self-report, the third party report should be recorded and investigated as a new complaint.
1. Complaint/Complainant Defined
1.1.1. Monitoring Issues Not Recorded As Complaints
1.1.2. When a Complaint is Also a Self-Report
This page last updated 10/2020.