Wisconsin Department of Children and Families - Division of Early Care and Education
Bureau of Early Care Regulation
Child Care Licensing Procedure Manual
The licensing specialist conducts the initial announced on-site visit to the public school program to make introductions and get acquainted with the program director and staff. The licensing specialist will also make an initial assessment of the program’s compliance with the health and safety administrative rules. This first visit is a time for the licensing specialist to explain what the future monitoring visits will entail and to offer technical assistance if appropriate. This initial announced visit occurs approximately one year before the first annual monitoring visit in which compliance with health and safety rules will be reviewed and violations may be cited.
The initial visit to the public school program is scheduled for a time that is convenient for public school program staff and the licensing specialist. The licensing specialist should give the staff at the public school program a minimum of five business days advance notice before an announced visit is made. When scheduling the visit, the licensing specialist should provide the staff with an estimate of the time that s/he will be on site and make every attempt to arrange the timing of the visit to best accommodate the program schedule and the schedules of the public school program staff. S/he should also indicate what will be covered during the visit. The licensing specialist should recommend that the program director be present and can also suggest that staff may wish to participate. It is not necessary for children to be present at the initial announced visit.
Upon arrival at the public school program, the licensing specialist introduces him or herself and provides a business card with contact information. The licensing specialist conveys to program staff that BECR strives to work in partnership with the program and will assist the program in identifying strengths, as well as areas where program improvements can be made. The licensing specialist describes the monitoring process, including how often to expect a monitoring visit and how much time a visit may take. The program staff should be advised that they can respond to violations that may be cited by drafting and submitting a correction plan for each violation. Submittal of the correction plan is not mandatory, however.
The licensing specialist then conducts a walk-through of the center and assesses the program’s compliance with each identified health and safety rule while recording his/her observations on the DCF-5154 paper checklist. The licensing specialist indicates administrative rules that are met or not applicable for that particular public school program and leaves unmet rules blank. S/he also records comments describing how the program is out of compliance. This assessment establishes the program’s “baseline”; that is, the health and safety rules that are currently already met at the center and those rules that are not met and will need to be reviewed for compliance at a subsequent visit.
The results are discussed with the program staff at the end of the initial visit. The licensing specialist can offer technical assistance on ways to comply with the unmet rules observed on that day and should also share positive impressions with staff.
2.3. Components of the Initial On-Site Visit
2.3.1. Documenting the Initial On-Site Visit
This page last updated 06/2018.