July 21 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. Next Week is Child Care Counts Application/Update Week Next week, July 25-29, is the July Application/Update Week. Prepare to update your staff and child records as needed. Do you have changes in children or staff for summer programming? July applications should reflect end of school year/summer program enrollment. Update your Child Care Counts application next week to reflect those changes so you don’t miss out on any funding. See the Child Care Counts Calendar for future Count and Application Weeks. The Child Care Counts: Stabilization Payment Program Round 2 begins in August 2022. Visit our webpage to see more information about Round 2, including important dates for August 2022 – April 2023, Round 2 Terms and Conditions, Non-Standard Hours Add-On, and more! Child Care Counts Información en español. Child Care Counts Audits and Reviews DCF is required to conduct audits and reviews to ensure that these funds were paid out properly and to ensure that providers are adhering to the terms and conditions they agreed to when they applied for these funding programs. DCF audit of the Child Care Counts program includes a random sample of providers. Some providers will receive documentation request letters in the mail this week and through the Child Care Provider Portal (CCPP). Please continue to monitor your Child Care Provider Portal in the event your child care program was selected in the sample. If your child care program is selected to be audited, you will be directed to submit the documentation to DCF via the Child Care Provider Portal by August 4, 2022. Please ensure that you only submit the specific documents that are stated in the letter and only for the specific date ranges and program indicated in the letter. Timely Response is required. You do not need to take any action at this time unless you receive an audit notice. If you receive a notice, it will outline next steps on what and how to upload necessary documents. Additional Information & Resources about Audits can be found on the Child Care Counts website in the Audits and Review Process section. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the auditor listed on the letter. If you have questions or need help uploading your documents to the Child Care Provider Portal, please view the Upload Guide or the Uploading Files into the Child Care Provider Portal video for instructions. Postcard Mailing to Families with Current Wisconsin Shares Authorizations DCF is mailing more than 20,000 postcards to families with current Wisconsin Shares Authorizations to remind them to request their fall/back-to-school child care authorizations now. The postcard encourages parents to utilize the Parent Portal to view authorization notices, request changes, see subsidy amounts for each child, and more. The postcard has been produced in both English and Spanish. Child care providers and local agency workers are encouraged to share the postcard and its contents with families utilizing Wisconsin Shares. Postcards will drop in the mail by July 29, 2022. DECE Hiring Multiple Positions DCF/Division of Early Care and Education (DECE) is hiring. Two project Program and Policy Analyst-Advanced (PPA) positions in the Bureau of YoungStar Strategic Planning Policy Analyst-Project will serve as the project lead for the Birth to Five Strategic Plan. The deadline to apply for this position is August 1. Early Childhood Governance Structure Lead will serve as the lead for Early Childhood Governance System work. The deadline to apply for this position is August 2. Two full-time Licensing/Certification Specialists in Waukesha (SRO) in BECR. These positions evaluate, license, and monitor assigned child care programs (family child care, group child care, day camps) through in-person on-site visits, to determine compliance with regulations established by DCF in order to protect and promote the health, safety and welfare of the children being served. The deadline to apply for these positions is July 25. View all open DCF positions at Wisc.Jobs. New Background Check Notices The Background Check Quarterly Notice now reflects individuals past due for submitting fingerprints. The new Overdue Background Check Notice will follow a month after the Quarterly Notice for anyone who has not completed their fingerprints. Please review these notices carefully to avoid a non-compliance. Call the Child Care Background Unit with questions 608-422-7400. Southern Regional Licensing Office is Moving The Bureau of Early Care Regulation – Southern Regional Licensing Office will begin moving building locations on August 2, 2022, to the Tommy G. Thompson Center, 201 West Washington Avenue in Madison. While our physical address will be changing, our mailing address will stay the same: Bureau of Early Care RegulationSouthern Regional OfficeP.O. Box 8947Madison, WI 53708-8947 Telephone: 608-422-6765FAX: 608-422-6766 Email: DCFPlicBRLSRO@wisconsin.gov Please contact your licensing specialists with any questions.
