Wisconsin Department
of Children and Families - Division
of Early Care and Education
Bureau of Child Care Subsidy Administration
Wisconsin Shares Handbook
Parents receiving Wisconsin Shares must report changes that may impact eligibility or authorizations to the local agency within 10 calendar days after the change. Parents can report changes by calling or visiting the local agency or online through ACCESS Report My Changes (RMC). Parents are informed of their rights and responsibilities for reporting changes through their Notice of Eligibility, Quarterly Subsidy Authorization Notice, and ACCESS Renew My Benefits (RMB), Apply for Benefits (AFB), and Add a Program (AAP) application documents.
Income Changes
The income reporting requirements depend on whether the Assistance Group (AG) is at or below 185% Federal Poverty Level (FPL) or above 185% FPL.
An AG at or below 185% FPL must report if their gross monthly household income, whether earned or unearned, increases by $250 or more.
An AG above 185% FPL must report if their household’s gross monthly income, whether earned or unearned, exceeds a dollar amount that will bring the AG to above the next 5% FPL increment.
If the AG’s income is between two (2) FPL 5% increments, CWW will use the lower of the two (2) FPL percentages to determine the AG’s reporting requirements.
| Example: Maria’s income places her AG at 187% FPL. Maria’s reporting requirement will be $250 because CWW rounds down to 185% FPL to determine her reporting requirement. |
All parents must report if their monthly gross income exceeds 85% of the State Median Income (SMI).
The Child Care Notice of Eligibility and Quarterly Subsidy Authorization Notice display the income reporting requirement for the AG.
| Note: Parents are not required to report decreases in monthly household income; however, doing so may increase a family’s subsidy amount by reducing the hourly copayment per the reduction in income. |
Child Care Authorization Changes
A change in child care providers must be reported before the change occurs. If a parent intends to change to a new child care provider next month, the change needs to be reported before the last business day of the current month to receive subsidy funds for the new provider. There are limited exceptions (see 17.3 and 17.3.1).
An individual must report within 10 calendar days after the change if someone in the household:
Has a change in the number of days or hours that a child needs care
Receives a provider price discount
Has not attended their authorized child care provider for 20 consecutive calendar days
All Other Eligibility Changes
Parents must report within 10 calendar days after the change if anyone in the household:
Has a new address
Moves out of state
Has a change in where he or she is staying, including a change that is only temporary
Moves into or out of the home
Gets married or divorced
Has a new child in the home
Has a change in the composition of the AG, such as:
A child is adopted
A parent becomes a foster parent, subsidized guardian, or interim caretaker
Legal parentage between a child and the second parent living in the home is established
Has a change in their approved activity, such as:
A new job
Enrollment in basic or postsecondary education if child care is needed for the activity
Permanent loss of approved activity
Temporary absence from their current approved activity that is expected to last longer than a calendar month
Questionable or contradictory verification or reporting must be resolved or referred for Front-End Verification according to the local agency’s fraud plan (see 7.6).
Failure to report changes may result in an overpayment based on the results of an audit and investigation, if a parent received subsidy funds that they were not eligible to receive (see Appendix VII – Client Investigations).
This section last updated 10/1/2023