Newspaper iconDCF 56 Revisions Now in Effect

January 29, 2026

 

On December 1, changes to Chapter DCF 56, Wisconsin’s Administrative Rule that identifies the licensing requirements for foster homes and foster parents, went into effect. The revised rule removes barriers to licensing relatives and like-kin caregivers and offers these caregivers much-needed and stronger support by:

  • Reducing administrative burden on relative and like-kin caregivers and the child welfare workforce.
  • Decreasing the timeframe for relative and like-kin caregiver licensure and payments.
  • Establishing pay equity for relative and like-kin caregivers.
  • Creating a separate, streamlined licensing pathway for relative and like-kin caregivers.

 

See below for a statement released by Governor Evers’s office, which includes more details about the revisions.

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 18, 2025

Contact: GovPress@wisconsin.gov 

 

Gov. Evers Approves New Rule Aimed at Keeping Kids in Foster Care with Family and Loved Ones

Revised rule creates streamlined licensing pathway for relative and like-kin caregivers, keeping more kids with adults who know and love them 

 

MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers today announced he has approved a new administrative rule designed to help improve the state’s foster care system by ensuring kids can more easily be placed with family relatives or like-kin caregivers when they are unable to safely remain in their home. The move takes an evidence-driven approach to help improve stability and permanent placement, which are critical for kids’ success, by increasing the number of kids and youth who are placed with people who know and love them. Gov. Evers, who began the year declaring 2025 the Year of the Kid in Wisconsin, approved a Wisconsin Department of Children and Families (DCF) administrative rule that provides a separate, streamlined licensing pathway for relative and like-kin caregivers and fair financial support.  

“We know that kids do better when they have supportive and loving people around them, and they’re in settings where they feel safe and can be their best and full selves. Keeping adults in kids’ lives who know and love them can go a long way toward making sure a kid has the stability they need so they can be focused on being a kid,” said Gov. Evers. “This is about doing what’s best for our kids and helping increase the likelihood of youth being in an environment with their family and loved ones, especially during difficult, chaotic times in their lives.”

Research shows that when a child cannot safely remain in their home, placement with a relative or like-kin caregiver leads to stronger stability and permanency outcomes. In 2024, 39 percent of children in Wisconsin who entered out-of-home care were initially placed with relatives, increasing the likelihood that they would be placed with their siblings, experience more stability during their placement, and ultimately achieve permanency with family. By reducing barriers to licensure and delivering equitable financial support to relative and like-kin caregivers, these changes aim to increase the number of kids and youth with those who know and love them.  

“This historic change is a reflection of Gov. Evers’ belief that what’s best for kids is what’s best for our state,” said DFC Secretary Jeff Pertl. “We know kids do better when they’re with family—however they define it. And families do better when they can spend less time running up against unnecessary administrative and financial barriers and more time together, being a family.”  

The revisions to Chapter DCF 56, which were identified through collaboration with lived experts and child welfare professionals from across state, come nearly one year after Gov. Evers signed 2023 Wisconsin Act 119, bipartisan legislation to provide stronger support to like-kin caregivers by expanding the definition of those eligible to be kinship caregivers to include adults with a “like-kin” relationship with the child, as well as first cousins once removed.

In addition to strengthening supports for relatives and like-kin caregivers, other changes to Chapter DCF 56 allow for more local decision-making and incorporate unique considerations into how Wisconsin kids and youth are cared for. These changes support stronger engagement between families and child welfare professionals and promote the best outcomes for kids and families across the state, building upon Wisconsin’s Putting Families First initiative that focuses on keeping kids in family settings whenever possible.

In addition to streamlining the licensure pathway for relative and like-kin caregivers, the Evers Administration has also worked to cut red tape and streamline licensure and certification for the state’s child care industry. Last month, Gov. Evers and DCF launched new online tools to help Wisconsinites interested in starting a licensed or certified child care program navigate the regulation process, cutting license processing times nearly in half and helping to bolster the child care industry by making licensure and certification more accessible and straightforward for interested applicants.

For resources detailing DCF’s efforts to support relative and like-kin caregivers, visit the Putting Families First Communication Toolbox. To learn more about Wisconsin’s child welfare transformation to support families together and in-home, visit DCF’s Putting Families First webpage.

 

The full press release is available here.