Wisconsin Department
of Children and Families - Division
of Early Care and Education
Bureau of Child Care Subsidy Administration
Wisconsin Shares Handbook
All certified family providers, licensed family providers, licensed group child care centers, licensed day camps, and public-school programs must participate in YoungStar. The YoungStar Contract must be entered in the YoungStar Case Management System (CMS) before an authorization can be written to the provider location.
For purposes of determining an authorization begin date (see 15.1 and 15.2), an authorization can start on the date the child care provider’s completed YoungStar or Wisconsin Shares Participation Contract was entered in CMS if all other requirements are met.
Newly certified and licensed child care providers receive a pending rating until their first YoungStar rating is complete. Authorizations may be written to a provider with a pending YoungStar rating; there only needs to be a completed YoungStar Participation Contract entered in CMS to meet the requirements for an authorization begin date.
Out-of-state and certified in-home child care providers are exempt from YoungStar participation but must sign a Wisconsin Shares Participation Contract to be eligible for Wisconsin Shares authorizations.
14.3.1.1 Contract Renewal and Grace Period
This section last updated 12/1/2022