Wisconsin Department of Children and Families - Division of Early Care and Education
Bureau of Early Care Regulation
Child Care Licensing Procedure Manual
Complaint Procedure Overview Flow Chart
Procedures
1. Complaint/Complainant Defined
1.1.1. Monitoring Issues Not Recorded As Complaints
1.1.2. When a Complaint is Also a Self-Report
2.1. Receiving Complaints by Telephone or in Person
2.1.1. Receipt of Anonymous Complaints by Telephone or in Person
2.2. Receiving Written Complaints
2.4. Determining if the Center is Licensed or Unlicensed
2.4.1. Determining Current Certification Status of Child Care Providers
2.5. Completing the Child Care Complaint/Incident Intake Form (CFS-321)
3.1. Assessing the Level of Risk the Complaint Poses to Children in Care
3.1.1. Complaints that Require Immediate Attention
3.1.2. Complaints that Do Not Require Immediate Attention
3.2. Alerting the Bureau Director to High Profile Complaints
3.3. Determining Regulatory Authority to Investigate
3.3.1. When Jurisdiction to Investigate the Complaint Does Not Exist
3.4. Shared Regulatory Authority: Coordinating with Another Agency
3.5. Identifying Specific Administrative Rules Potentially Violated
4. Time Frame for Initiating the Response to the Complaint
4.1. Responding to a Complaint that Requires Immediate Attention
4.2. Responding to a Complaint that Does Not Pose the Risk of Imminent Danger
4.2.1. Desk Review – Responding to a Complaint by Phone
5. Developing an Investigation Plan
5.1. Reviewing All Licensing Administrative Rules Potentially Violated
5.3. Identifying Who and/or What Can Provide the Needed Information
5.4. Determining the Investigation Methodology
5.4.1. Determining the Best Method to Gather Specific Information
5.4.2. Considering the Best Place to Gather the Information
5.4.3. Determining the Best Time to Gather the Information
6. Conducting the Investigation
6.1. The Center Inspection – Unannounced Site Visit
6.2.1.1. In Child Care Facilities
6.3. Recording Evidence - Documentation
6.3.1. Certification of Records
7. Organizing and Analyzing Materials Gathered During the Investigation
8. The Standard of Proof – Reasonable Certainty
9. Reaching a Finding Regarding the Alleged Violations
10. Determining Subsequent Action
11. Reporting Complaint Investigation Findings
11.1. Completing the Child Care Complaint/Incident Findings Form (CFS-321-B)
11.2. Reporting the Complaint Investigation Results
12. Record Keeping and Confidentiality
12.1. Confidentiality of Investigation Findings
12.2. Fulfilling Public Information Requests
This page last updated 10/2020.