Wisconsin Department
of Children and Families - Division
of Early Care and Education
Bureau of Child Care Subsidy Administration
Wisconsin Shares Handbook
Child care providers accepting Wisconsin Shares must renew their YoungStar or Wisconsin Shares Participation Contracts every two (2) years. Providers receive a letter from the Department of Children and Families (DCF) informing them of their upcoming renewal three (3) months prior to the YoungStar or Wisconsin Shares Contract anniversary date. A one-month grace period following the child care program's anniversary date is allowed for child care providers to return their YoungStar or Wisconsin Shares Participation Contract renewals.
Parents are notified by DCF when their child care provider is in the grace period and their authorization is at risk of ending if the provider does not complete the renewal by the due date.
During the grace period, no new authorizations can be written, but existing authorizations can continue up to the last day of the grace period month. If the provider returns the YoungStar or Wisconsin Shares Participation Contract prior to the end of the grace period, the provider's new participation period begins, and the agency worker may authorize child care beginning that day. If the contract renewal is not returned by the end of the grace period, all Wisconsin Shares authorizations will end systematically on the last day of the grace period month. Parents cannot receive new authorizations to the provider location until there is a new YoungStar or Wisconsin Shares Participation Contract entered in the YoungStar Case Management System (CMS).
If a YoungStar or Wisconsin Shares Participation Contract renewal is returned after the grace period, an authorization can be backdated to the date the contract was received and entered in CMS, subject to the requirements in Sections 15.1 and 15.2.
This section last updated 12/1/2022