Wisconsin Department of Children and Families - Division of Early Care and Education
Bureau of Child Care Subsidy Administration
Wisconsin Shares Handbook
Parents can retain eligibility and maintain any current authorizations at the same number of hours for a period of up to three (3) months following a permanent loss or temporary break in their approved activity.
Permanent Loss: A parent who experiences a permanent loss of approved activity may be eligible for an Approved Activity Search Period (ACTS). A parent must expect to not return to the same approved activity to be eligible for an ACTS period.
Temporary Break: A parent who experiences a temporary break in approved activity may be eligible for a Temporary Break Period (TBRK). A temporary break is defined as a parent’s time-limited absence from an approved activity due to:
Illness,
The need to care for a family member,
A student or holiday break,
An interruption in work for a seasonal worker who is not working between regular industry work seasons, or
Any other time-limited cessation of an approved activity as long as the parent continues to be employed or enrolled in the approved activity.
A parent who experiences a temporary break that will last more than three (3) calendar months is eligible for a TBRK period for the first three (3) calendar months of the temporary break.
ACTS and TBRK are collectively referred to as Activity Break Periods.
| Note: If a parent is absent or expected to be absent from their approved activity for less than 30 calendar days the approved activity status should not be updated. Neither ACTS nor TBRK apply to absences of less than 30 calendar days. |
For additional criteria that a parent must meet to be eligible for an Activity Break Period, see Section 5.3.1.
Eligibility and any authorizations will end systematically at the end of the Activity Break Period if the parent has not reported a return to his or her approved activity (TBRK) or a new verified approved activity (ACTS). Agency workers do not need to take any action to end eligibility at the end of an Activity Break Period.
If the permanent loss or temporary break in approved activity is not timely reported or discovered until after the Activity Break Period would have expired, a referral must be created in the Benefit Recovery Investigation Tracking System (BRITS).
5.3.1 Activity Break Period Eligibility
5.3.1.1 Activity Break Period Eligibility at Renewal
5.3.2 Activity Break Period Dates
5.3.3 Activity Break Period Placement
5.3.4 Number of Activity Break Periods
5.3.5 Nonconsecutive Activity Break Periods
5.3.6 Ending an Activity Break Period Early
5.3.7 Eligibility Ending During an Activity Break Period
5.3.8 Activity Break Period Verification
This section last updated 12/1/2022