February 1 Child Care Provider Updates During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of Children and Families (DCF) Division of Early Care and Education (DECE) will send updates to everyone who has subscribed to the DCF Child Care listserv. February Child Care Counts Application/Update Week is February 14-18 January 30 through February 12 are the February Count Weeks. The February application/update week is February 14-18. January applications/updates are being reviewed. Providers will be notified of their eligibility for funds by February 11, 2022, via a payment letter uploaded to the Child Care Provider Portal. See the Child Care Counts Calendar for future Count and Application Weeks. If you need help or have questions about your Payment Program status, please email DCFDECECOVID19CCPayments@wisconsin.gov or call and leave your detailed questions at 608-535-3650. Check out our recently updated Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) to get answers to your questions. Child Care Counts Información en español. DCF Partners with SFTA and FCF on Project Growth DCF is excited to share our newest Project Growth partnerships with Supporting Families Together Association (SFTA) and First Children’s Finance (FCF). SFTA, in partnership with Wisconsin’s nine Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies (CCR&Rs), will administer the Partner Up! grant program and FCF will administer the Dream Up! grant program. DCF provides funding and oversight of Project Growth as a whole; however, this program would not be possible without support from our partner organizations. The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) and the Wisconsin Early Childhood Association (WECA) are collaborating partners helping guide and develop the objectives of the grant program. Learn more about these new partnerships and these grant programs on the Project Growth website. Complete Your Cost of Care Survey Today – Deadline April 30 You recently received a Cost of Care survey from your CCR&R. Please fill out your survey ASAP. The survey deadline is April 30. Don’t wait until the last minute! DCF needs this information to better understand the costs associated with providing child care. Contact your local CCR&R with questions. Updated Child Care Forms and Publications – Including Commentary The following child care forms and publications have recently been updated. The current version of the forms and publications can be found on the DCF Child Care Licensing Forms & Publications page. Current Commentary Manuals can always be found on the Licensing Rules with Commentary webpage. Please keep in mind BECR reviews and updates forms regularly. We encourage you to always access these documents through the department’s website, avoid saving them to your computer, and only print as needed. DCF Approved Agencies Offering Non-credit Courses (DCF-P-5202) DCF 250 Licensing Rules for Family Child Care Centers with Commentary (DCF-P-PFS4069) DCF 251 Licensing Rules for Group Child Care Centers with Commentary (DCF-P-PFS4024) DCF 252 Licensing Rules for Day Camps for Children with Commentary (DCF-P-2532) Please contact your licensing specialist or certification agency with any questions. Calling All Group Center Directors! – Attend an Info Session on WEESSN Tier 1 Services Wisconsin Early Education Shared Services Network (WEESSN)is here to support you. WEESSN’s #1 goal is to make the lives of providers in the state of Wisconsin less stressful. If you have not already become a WEESSN member, please join the info session to learn about WEESSN Tier 1 – post jobs for free on eight different job sites, gain access to over 1,600 resources for child care, get discounts on purchasing for your center, and so much more. In addition, learn about the Tier 2 program, only available to 75 programs across the state for free – a personal business coach, professional development, access to telehealth, top-notch child care software, all for you! Info Session: February 23, 2022 – 1-2 p.m. All participants will receive one hour Registry credit and be entered into a drawing for a pack of 10 new children’s books! There will be live Spanish interpretation for this presentation. La sesión será traducida simultáneamente al español. Register Here!
