Wisconsin Department of Children and Families - Division of Early Care and Education
Bureau of Early Care Regulation
Child Care Licensing Procedure Manual
When the required response to an allegation of an illegally operating facility is an on-site investigation, it must begin within 10 working days from the date that decision is made. The licensing manager/licensing supervisor may direct that immediate action must be taken for a very serious complaint.
Before conducting the on-site investigation, the licensing specialist should review the current complaint and all available historical information that may have a bearing on the current complaint. This would include information about a previous complaint, documents related to a previous license, license denial or revocation and/or other known history. On the basis of the available information, the licensing specialist should consider the following:
Decide if, for safety reasons, another licensing specialist, the licensing manager/licensing supervisor or a law enforcement officer should also go on the site visit;
Determine whether a county staff person should also participate. A county worker may participate when the provider is certified or when a child protective services investigation is involved;
Make sure, to the extent possible, that the address of the center and the provider’s name are correct;
Determine the best day and/or time of day to make the site visit and observe the number of children allegedly in care;
Decide if there are witnesses, i.e. the complainant, a neighbor, etc. who can provide information. If so, the licensing specialist may decide to interview witnesses before the site visit;
Determine if there are records from another agency that will help establish the number of children in care, for example, a police or protective service report;
Review any documents that indicate that the center is incorrectly representing itself to the public as licensed;
Decide what documents to take along, for example, a special inspection warrant (see section 4.3) or copies of the DC-1 letter and the CFS-856.
4. On-Site Complaint Investigation
4.1. Conducting the On-Site Investigation
4.2. Handling Provider Hostility
4.3. If Center Entry is Denied
4.3.1. Obtaining and Delivering the Special Inspection Warrant
This page last updated 10/2020.