Wisconsin Department
of Children and Families - Division
of Early Care and Education
Bureau of Child Care Subsidy Administration
Wisconsin Shares Handbook
Parents of children with disabilities may be eligible for a higher subsidy amount (“inclusion rate”) to offset any increased costs the child care provider may incur in providing care to a child with a disability. Not all children with a disability require the child care provider to have specialized training, to provide any additional services, or to make environmental adaptations. However, when a request for an inclusion rate is submitted, the local agency may consider additional subsidy amounts on a case-by-case basis. The Wisconsin Shares Inclusion Rate Request form (DCF-F-2976-E) must be completed to request and document a higher subsidy amount for a child with a disability.
The inclusion rate must support the child care provider's additional expenses in caring for the child (e.g., specialized training, services, one-on-one staffing for the child, and/or environmental adaptations) but must not include healthcare services such as occupational therapy, physical therapy, or nursing care. It is the provider’s responsibility to comply with all aspects of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
For more information on how the ADA applies to child care providers, please visit the Commonly Asked Questions About Child Care Centers and the Americans with Disabilities Act webpage.
The parent must provide documentation from a physician, psychologist, special educator, or other qualified professional showing that:
The child has a disability; and
Identifies the specific emotional, behavioral, physical, or personal needs of a child requiring more than the usual amount of care and supervision for the child's age in the child care setting.
The parent may provide copies of the following supporting documentation to identify and clarify the specific accommodations that are needed within the child care setting:
An Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) from the Birth to 3 Program
An Individualized Education Program (IEP) from a school district
A 504 plan (a plan developed to ensure accommodations are provided to allow the child to participate fully in school)
The child care provider must document the specific additional child care expenses that are necessary to meet the child’s needs in the child care setting. This must be written on or added as an attachment to the Wisconsin Shares Inclusion Rate Request form before the parent submits the request to the local agency.
If a higher subsidy amount is approved by the local agency, the effective date is the date that the form is approved and signed by the local agency and is valid until the renewal following the 12th month after the form was approved. A Post-Load Benefit Correction (PLBC) may be necessary if benefits have already been issued for the current month.
A new form must be completed annually to evaluate the ongoing and changing needs of the child and determine any adjustments to the cost incurred by the provider. Also, if the child changes child care providers, a new form is required to document and verify the costs for the new child care provider, as each child care provider may have different circumstances to meet the needs of the child.
The approval or denial must be noted in case comments (see 12.2) and the reason for the inclusion rate must be documented on the Wisconsin Shares Inclusion Rate Request form. Supporting documentation must be scanned into ECF. Agency workers must provide the parent with a copy of the Wisconsin Shares Inclusion Rate Request form showing the approval or denial and the reason for a denial.
The hourly rate for any authorized hours above 50 hours per week will be paid at the county’s hourly maximum rate for that provider rather than the higher approved inclusion rate.
This section last updated 12/1/2022