February 14 Child Care Provider Updates YoungStar Listening Sessions In partnership with DCF, Shine Early Learning will be hosting in-person listening sessions in each region to learn about challenges, needs, and successes. These sessions will help guide statewide and regional program and resource development on both the quality and regulation side of early care and education. Join us in Milwaukee on February 16 for the first YoungStar Listening Session. Use the RSVP link to register for the session. Milwaukee | RSVPThursday, February 16, 20236 - 8 p.m.Hilton Milwaukee City Center, Empire Ballroom509 W. Wisconsin Ave. As soon as venues are finalized, we will send region-specific information for the below sessions: Madison | February 23 Appleton | March 2 Eau Claire | March 9 Rhinelander | March 16 Additional in-person sessions in Spanish will be scheduled in April, as well as a virtual session in late March/early April. Child Care Counts February Application Period Starts Next Week Get ready - the next update/application period is next week: February 20-24, 2023. (The February Count Weeks are February 5-18.) Organize your records now so you are ready for update/application week. You must review and update your application every month. You risk overpayment if you don’t properly update your application. See the Child Care Counts Calendar for future Count and Application Weeks. Reminder about Non-Standard Hours Add-On The Child Care Counts: Stabilization Payment Program Round 2 includes an additional per-child add on for Payment Program A – Increasing Access to High-Quality Care. This add-on amount is given to eligible providers in addition to the Per-Child Amount for each child included in the application who attended 20 or more hours of care during non-standard hours across the Count Week. For the purposes of Child Care Counts, there are four types of non-standard care: Early-morning Care: Care provided between the hours of 5 a.m. and 6 a.m. Evening Care: Care provided between the hours of 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. Overnight Care: Care provided between the hours of 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. Weekend Care: Care provided anytime on Saturday or Sunday View this video for an overview of the Non-Standard Hours Add-On. See the Non-Standard Hours section of the Frequently Asked Questions for more information. Spending Deadline Reminder All Stabilization Payment Program funds must be spent within 120 days from the date of the payment letter. See the Use of Funds section of the Frequently Asked Questions for more information. September 2022 funds must be spent by February 18, 2023. October 2022 funds must be spent by March 18, 2023. If you have questions or need assistance, please email DCFDECECOVID19CCPayments@wisconsin.gov or call and leave your detailed questions at 608-535-3650. Child Care Counts Información en español. Tuesday Talks with DECE: January Recording Available & Upcoming February Talk Did you miss the January Tuesday Talks with DECE? The link to the January 17 talk on Child Care Counts Program C is now available in the January 17: Child Care Counts Program C: Promoting Inclusive Spaces accordion on the Tuesday Talks with DECE webpage. Tuesday Talks with DECE are held the third Tuesday of each month at 1:30 p.m. The next webinar is February 21 at 1:30 p.m. and we will discuss Funding Opportunities: Dream Up! and Child Care Counts Program C. Registration is not required for these events. Visit the DCF Tuesday Talks with DECE webpage to access the Zoom link and learn about future topics. Learn more about Tuesday Talks on the DCF website. Revisions to DCF 250, 251, and 252 The department is revising child care licensing rules that will go into effect on March 1, 2023. The primary purpose of the rule revisions was to update rules relating to school-age only programs. While revising those rules, the department decided to look at all licensing rules to determine where revisions were needed. All licensed providers will receive a memo summarizing the rule changes for family and group child care, day camps, and public school-operated programs. The department will be offering in-person and virtual trainings for providers to review and discuss new rules. Information regarding the dates, times, locations, and rule groups for each training event can be located on the DCF website. Rule revisions will also be covered in a high-level overview during Tuesday Talks with DECE on March 21, 2023, at 1:30 p.m. Computer-based trainings covering rule revisions are also available on the Rule Revisions webpage for those providers who are unable to attend an in-person or virtual training, as well as other rule revision resources, including rulebooks with track changes and rules at-a-glance. If you have any questions, please contact your regional licensing office. Additional Resources Child Care Rulemaking Projects and Training Dates Tuesday Talks with DECE DCF 250, Family Child Care Rules Online Training DCF 251, Group Child Care Rules Online Training DCF 252, Day Camp Rules Online Training Child Care Licensing Contacts Save the Date for Our Kick-Off to Dream Up! Cohort 3 Webinar The Dream Up! Cohort 3 application period will be February 20-March 17, 2023. To kick-off the application period we will be hosting a webinar on February 20 at 12 p.m. CST. During this webinar you will hear from DCF; the grant program administrators, First Children’s Finance; and a previous Dream Up! awardee! Join the Zoom WebinarMeeting ID: 899 3721 4116Passcode: 487500Phone: +1-470-250-9358 No pre-registration required. Just join the Zoom meeting at the time of the event. The Project Growth Kick-Off Webinar will have Spanish translation services available. You must join the meeting through the link above (not by calling in by phone) in order to: Hear Spanish interpretation View the PowerPoint Enter questions in the chat Tip – you can download the Zoom app on your smartphone. This will allow all features to be available, including Spanish interpretation, viewing the presentation, and adding questions in the chat. Learn more about the Dream Up! grant program on the DCF website. Managing Adult Anger Virtual Class The Parents Place is offering a virtual class to explore common causes of adult anger, learn how to manage your emotions, and find techniques that will help you control your actions before they hurt someone or yourself. This is a series of three virtual classes on February 28, March 7, and March 14 from 5:30-7 p.m. Visit the Parents Place class list to learn more and register for the series. Contact the Parents Place at 262-549-5575 or email asjohn@parentsplacewi.org with any questions. 2023 Spring Early Childhood Conference: Loose Parts – March 4 This one-day conference will explore the theory of loose parts while incorporating early learning standards and the school-age curricular framework. The experiences and intent of loose parts play will be explored deeply utilizing a combination of hands-on learning opportunities, active exploration, and discussion. Participants will leave with a greater understanding of the benefits of incorporating loose parts in early learning and school-age environments. Audience: All early childhood and school-age professionals interested in learning more about creating opportunities to support culturally sensitive and sustainable early learning environments in their educational pedagogy, while creating a sense of belonging and allowing children to engage in open-ended exploration as they learn about the world around them. Northwest Connection and Nicolet College 2023 Spring Early Childhood Conference: Loose Parts Saturday, March 4 | 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Northwoods Center at Nicolet College, Rhinelander, WI Register by February 25. Fee: $25 (Nicolet College students attend at no cost). A light morning snack and lunch will be served. Registry credit through NCFR and CEUs through Nicolet College will be provided to participants. Questions should be directed to nwtraining@ncfrwi.net. It’s a Different World: Recruiting and Retaining Day Camp Staff Through a Wellness Lens What do you mean “wellness lens”? Yep, we thought it might grab your attention. This Wisconsin Afterschool Network summer series will focus on recruitment and retention of staff with a foundation in wellness. Join us for two half-day workshops that target recruitment and retention with a wellness focus that will keep your staff engaged, enthused, and wanting to not just work with you, but return every day and every season. Two morning sessions of learning: Day One: March 7 – Getting staff in the door with a wellness lens Day Two: March 21 – Keep staff well and coming back for more Sign up for the 2023 Summer Camp Series. Contact Your Local CCR&R for Help with Challenging Behaviors Child Care Resource and Referral agencies (CCR&Rs) are a call away for support and resources for caregivers when it comes to understanding and responding to challenging behaviors. For parents, CCR&Rs provide support through evidence-based parent education, social emotional strategies, and child development resources. Child care providers are supported with resources and coaching, social emotional strategies, and provider support groups. If you are struggling to understand or respond to challenging behaviors of children in your care, give your CCR&R a call! Find your local CCR&R. DECE is Hiring Multiple Positions DCF/Division of Early Care and Education (DECE) is hiring. Child Care Licensing Supervisor, in the Bureau of Early Care and Regulation, Southern RegionThis position provides supervision and leadership to regional licensing certification specialists and office staff working to ensure compliance and in carrying out the Department’s child care licensing mission, objectives, and goals. The deadline to apply for this position is February 17. The Strategic Quality Initiatives Section Manager is responsible for coordinating the YoungStar program and other child care quality improvement initiatives conducted by the Bureau of YoungStar. The deadline to apply for this position is February 27. DCF offers flexibility for predominantly remote work. View all open DCF positions at Wisc.Jobs.
