Wisconsin Department
of Children and Families - Division
of Early Care and Education
Bureau of Child Care Subsidy Administration
Wisconsin Shares Handbook
The Wisconsin Shares copayment types are as follows:
Regular: The Regular copayment code will base the copayment on the actual income and family size, and the number of children in subsidized child care. This copayment code is used when a family does not qualify for a Reduced Copayment Type.
Reduced Copayment Types:
$0 Copayment Types:
Foster: The Foster copayment code applies $0 copayment reduction to the subsidy amount. This copayment code is used for foster care, subsidized guardianships, and interim caretakers.
Kinship: The Kinship copayment code applies $0 copayment reduction to the subsidy amount. This copayment code is used for children who are residing with a relative under a court-ordered placement (with or without the Kinship Care payment).
Learnfare:
The Learnfare copayment code applies $0 copayment reduction
to the subsidy amount. This copayment code is used for teen
parents participating in the Learnfare program due to their
custodial parent participating in Wisconsin Works (W-2). See the Wisconsin Works (W-2) Manual Chapter
16 for more information about Learnfare.
Minimal Copayment Types (Based on 65% Federal Poverty Level [FPL]):
Non-Court Ordered Kinship: The Non-Court Ordered Kinship copayment code applies a copayment that is based on 65% FPL instead of the placement family’s actual income level. This copayment code is used when children are residing with a relative and there is no court order for the child’s placement.
Teen High School: The Teen High School copayment code applies a copayment that is based on 65% FPL instead of the family’s actual income level. This copayment code is used for teen parents under the age of 20 years old who are enrolled in high school or its equivalent.
W-2 Emp End, Unsub Emp Begin: The W-2 Emp End, Unsub Emp Begin copayment code applies a copayment based on 65% FPL instead of the family’s actual income level. It is used for W-2 participants who move from a W-2 employment position (Community Service Job (CSJ), W-2 Transition (W-2 T), or Trial Employment Match Program (TEMP) placement) to regular employment.
| Note: It is a recommended best practice that agency workers remind parents with a $0 copayment that this does not mean they will have a $0 Parent Share. The Parent Share will be established between the provider and the parent based on the difference between the provider’s price and the subsidy amount the parent receives. |
If a family is within their eligibility period,
the agency worker must not apply any copayment type change that would
increase the family’s copayment per hour until the next annual eligibility
renewal. The agency worker must enter the new copayment type in CSAW with
the day following the next renewal date entered as the Begin Date.
| Example 1: Timothy’s household consists of himself, his teenage child, Kurt, and Kurt’s baby, Cameron. Timothy is a W-2 participant. The household is determined eligible for Wisconsin Shares in April and Cameron’s authorization uses a Learnfare copayment type ($0). Then in June, Timothy discontinues participation in W-2, meaning that Cameron is no longer eligible for the Learnfare copayment type; his new copayment type would be Teen High School (65%). Since the change from the Learnfare copayment type to the Teen High School copayment type causes an increase in the copayment amount, the agency worker enters the new copayment type with a begin date of the day after Timothy’s annual renewal due date. |
| Example 2: Melody and Jennifer are married and have a foster child, Joshua, placed with them. They are determined eligible for Wisconsin Shares in April, and Joshua’s authorization uses the Foster copayment type ($0). In October, Melody and Jennifer adopt Joshua. Since the change from the Foster copayment type to the Regular copayment type causes an increase in the copayment amount, the agency worker enters the new copayment type with a begin date of the day after their next annual renewal due date. |
For more information about using copayment types in CSAW, see the CSAW User Guide – Authorizations.
This section last updated 10/1/2023