March 15 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. Apply for or Update Your Child Care Counts Application this Week March 14-18 is Child Care Counts application/update week. If you were approved for the February payment, you must update your staff and child records in the Child Care Provider Portal this week. Be sure to verify all required information and hit “Submit” on the last page of your application. Your application status will change from Review Needed to Submitted once you have completed your updates. Never applied for Child Care Counts? Now is the time to apply in the Child Care Provider Portal so you don’t miss out on funds! Once your initial application is approved, as long as you maintain eligibility, you simply need to complete monthly updates to receive ongoing payments. You will not need to complete the entire application process every month. Contact the Call Center if you have questions. REMINDER: Funds must be spent within 120 days of the date of your payment letter. Payments from November (payment letter date 12/10/21) must be spent by 4/9/22. Use the Spending Tool and view the step-by-step Spending Tool training video to learn tips and tricks for organizing and tracking how you spend your Child Care Counts Have questions while updating your application? See our Resources section for videos, application guides, and tools for answers to your questions. Other Helpful Tools and Resources How Payments are Determined shows the February payment dates and amounts. See the Provider Informational Training Module in the Resources section as your all-in-one guide to Child Care Counts. Review the FAQs about YoungStar Quality Incentive payments through Child Care Counts. 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. The Call Center is open M-F from 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Check out our recently updated Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) to get answers to your questions. See the Child Care Counts Calendar for future Count and Application Weeks. Child Care Counts Información en español. Project Growth Updates Project Growth is helping Wisconsin businesses, communities, and child care partners add services, find solutions, and innovate through two new grant programs: Dream Up! and Partner Up! The deadline to apply for both grant programs is April 4 at 5 p.m. CST. You can learn more about each grant program by watching on demand webinars and reviewing the FAQs on the Project Growth website. Webinars Project Growth Kick-Off Webinar – Watch the Kick-Off webinar(Passcode: 2=LU3J&%). Partner Up! – Watch the recorded Partner Up! webinar. Dream Up! – This webinar will be made available on-demand this week. FAQs Dream Up! FAQs Partner Up! FAQs Reminder: DCF is Hiring – Bureau of Operations and Planning Information Systems (IS) Business Consultant DCF is recruiting to fill an IS Business Consultant position (Bureau of Operations and Planning). DCF offers great benefits for all permanent positions, personal growth opportunities, and work-life balance. The deadline to apply is 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, March 22, 2022.
