Wisconsin Department
of Children and Families - Division
of Early Care and Education
Bureau of Child Care Subsidy Administration
Wisconsin Shares Handbook
Child care authorizations must always be based on the parent’s need for child care while the parent is participating in their approved activity. However, when the 4K program is overseen by a public school board or a Head Start program is located at the same location and address as a licensed child care program and not at a school (as listed in CSAW), the education hours may be included in the authorized hours based on the criteria listed below. The school program provider and the licensed child care provider must have the same provider number and location number in CSAW to meet the definition of co-located.
If the school program (Head Start or 4K) is located at a different site than the licensed child care provider, the authorization must cover only the before and/or after school care outside of the school program.
The school program hours can be included in the authorized hours if all of the following are true:
The parent is engaged in his or her approved activity at least part of the school program hours;
The school program and the child care program are co-located;
The total number of hours of the child’s school program(s) is not more than four (4) hours per day; and
The total length of the child’s authorized child care day is five (5) or more hours per day (the school program hours are included in this total).
If any of these requirements are not met, the authorization must not include the school program hours.
Agency workers must document the Head Start or 4K schedule in case comments (see 12.2).
| Example 1 (Different locations): Charlie attends the Head Start program located at 1256 Water Street and the licensed child care program that is located at 1536 Water Street. Charlie’s authorization is limited to the hours he will spend at the licensed child care program located at 1536 Water Street because the child care and the Head Start programs are in different locations. |
| Example 2 (Meets criteria): Dara attends a 4K program that is overseen by the local public school board and is located at the licensed child care center where she is enrolled. Dara’s parent needs child care from 7:30 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. Monday – Friday. The 4K program is provided at Dara’s licensed child care center from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Monday – Thursday. Dara’s authorization may be written to include the hours that Dara’s parent needs child care, which is 7:30 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. Monday through Friday. |
| Example 3 (Head Start greater than four (4) hours): Cary attends a Head Start program that is overseen by the local public school board, and that is located at the licensed child care center where she is enrolled. Cary’s parent needs child care from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday – Thursday while she works. The Head Start program is from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday – Friday. Cary’s authorization may be written for only the hours that Cary attends the licensed child care program because the Head Start program hours are indicated to be six (6) hours daily. Cary’s authorization must begin at 2 p.m. when the Head Start program has ended until 4:30 p.m. when Cary’s parent picks her up, Monday – Thursday. |
| Example 4 (No overlapping schedule): Melissa attends a Head Start program that is overseen by the local public school board and is located at the licensed child care center where she is enrolled. The Head Start program hours are 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Melissa’s parent works 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. She leaves Melissa at the center after the Head Start program ends. The authorization should be written from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. plus travel time. Melissa’s parent is not engaged in her approved activity during any part of the school program hours so those hours would not be included. |
| Example 5 (Sleep hours do not count): Josh attends a 4K program that is overseen by the local public school board and is located at the licensed child care center where he is enrolled. The licensed child care facility operates 24 hours a day. The 4K program hours are 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Josh’s parent works 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. The authorization should be written for 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. plus travel time. Josh’s parent is not in an approved activity during any part of the school program hours so those hours would not be included in the authorization. |
| Example 6 (Partial overlapping schedule): Melvin attends a Head Start program that is located at his licensed child care provider. The Head Start hours are from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Melvin’s parent, Raquel, needs child care from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. while she goes to work. Melvin’s authorization can be written for 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. plus travel time from work to the licensed child care provider at the end of her shift. The travel time in the morning would not be counted because Raquel is not going to her approved activity after dropping off Melvin at the licensed child care provider. |
Early Head Start and 3K programs are considered regular child care and all hours can be included in the authorization if:
The Early Head Start or 3K program is co-located with the child care provider location; and
The parent is participating in their approved activity, including travel time, during the authorized hours.
This section last updated 12/1/2022