February 21 Child Care Provider Updates

Tuesday Talks with DECE is Today

The next Tuesday Talks with DECE webinar is TODAY, 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. The Tuesday Talks with DECE are held the third Tuesday of each month at 1:30 p.m. 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.

This Week is Child Care Counts Update/Application Week – February 20-24

This week, February 20-24, is the February Child Care Counts Update/Application Week. Update your child attendance and staff records so you don’t miss out on any funding.

Update/Application Week Reminders

• You must review, update, and resubmit your application every month. See the Child Care Counts Calendar for future Count and Application Weeks.
• Be sure to carefully review the child and staff lists for attendance and payroll status during the Count Week and hit “submit” once you have completed your review/update.
• If you do not wish to receive payments, you must withdraw your application during Update Week.
• Watch the How to Apply Video to view step-by-step instructions on how to submit a new
• Review the Updating Your Child Care Counts Information During Update Week video to learn how to make application modifications during Update Week.

If you need assistance, email DCFDECECOVID19CCPayments@wisconsin.gov or call and speak with a Support Center Specialist at 608-535-3650.

Child Care Counts – News and Updates

Read about the three new Child Care Counts Updates:

1. Dates for Child Care Counts: Stabilization Payment Program Round 3
2. Payment Program C – March 2023 (one-time payment)
3. Enhanced Child Care Counts Support Center

Save the Dates! Child Care Counts Round 3 Dates Now Available

Dates for Child Care Counts: Stabilization Payment Program Round 3 are now available. This includes Application/Update and Count weeks for May 2023 through January 2024. You can also find these dates on the Child Care Counts webpage.

• The initial Round 3 application period in May 2023 will be two weeks long
• Ongoing monthly Application/Update weeks have been extended to nine days, to include weekends
  • Please note: The Support Center is not open on weekends. Hours of operation are 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Important Dates and Spending Deadlines for Round 3

All Stabilization Payment Program funds must be spent within 120 days from the date of the payment letter.

Month	Update / Application Week	Count Week	Payment Letter Date	Spending Deadline
May 2023	5/20 – 6/4/23	5/7 – 5/20/23	6/16/23	10/14/23
June 2023	6/17 – 6/25/23	6/4 – 6/17/23	7/14/23	11/11/23
July 2023	7/22 – 7/30/23	7/9 – 7/22/23	8/11/23	12/9/23
August 2023	8/12 – 8/20/23	7/30 – 8/12/23	9/8/23	1/6/24
September 2023	9/23 – 10/1/23	9/10 – 9/23/23	10/13/23	2/10/24
October 2023	10/14 – 10/22/23	10/1 – 10/14/23	11/10/23	3/9/24
November 2023	11/11 – 11/19/23	10/29 – 11/11/23	12/8/23	4/6/24
December 2023	12/9 – 12/17/23	11/26 – 12/9/23	1/5/24	5/4/24
January 2024	1/20 – 1/28/24	1/7 – 1/20/24	2/9/24	6/8/24

 

Introducing Payment Program C – Promoting Inclusive Spaces

The Department of Children and Families (DCF) is launching a one-time payment - Child Care Counts: Stabilization Payment Program C to support Wisconsin’s early care and education community in promoting inclusive spaces in high-quality child care centers.

Overview of Payment Program C – Promoting Inclusive Spaces:

• Providers do not need to have children with disabilities currently enrolled to apply for Payment Program C.   
• This is a one-time payment and will only be available during the March 2023 Application (3/20–3/24/23).
• Providers will need to complete a separate Program C application during the March Application/Update Week. This application will be very similar to programs A and B.

Funding for Program C is designed to accommodate the needs of children with disabilities and/or developmental delays to allow all children to fully participate in the child care program.

Funds must be used to increase physical accessibility for children with disabilities or developmental delays and/or to purchase supplies and materials to accommodate the needs of children with disabilities to allow them to fully participate in the child care program.

• Visit the Payment Program C section of the Child Care Counts webpage for more information and Frequently Asked Questions.
• See the Allowable Uses Chart and the Program C Terms and Conditions for complete details about how this one-time funding may be used.
• Visual examples of facility updates and purchased materials are available on the DCF website. These examples were also shared at the January 17, 2023, Tuesday Talks webinar, and you can watch the recording of that event.
• Learn more about Program C at the February 21 Tuesday Talks.

Enhanced Child Care Counts Support Center

We are excited to announce that the Child Care Counts Support Center has transitioned to take incoming live calls to provide support when it is most convenient for you!

What’s Changing?

You will no longer need to leave a message with your question and requested callback time. You will be able to speak to a Support Center Specialist directly during Support Center hours of operation, from 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. If you call outside of regular hours, you will still have the option to leave a message and receive a callback.

Questions? Contact the Child Care Counts Support Center at DCFDECECOVID19CCPayments@wisconsin.gov or call 608-535-3650.

YoungStar Listening Sessions – February 23

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 Madison on February 23 for the first YoungStar Listening Session. Use the RSVP link to register for the session.

• Madison | RSVP
  Thursday, February 23, 2023
  Sheraton Madison Hotel
  706 John Nolen Dr., Madison, WI 53713

As soon as venues are finalized, we will send region-specific information for the below sessions:

• Appleton | March 2
• Eau Claire | March 9
• Rhinelander | March 16
• Milwaukee | tentatively rescheduled for April 20 (watch for updates)

Additional in-person sessions in Spanish will be scheduled in April, as well as a virtual session in late March/early April.

Dream Up! Applications Now Open! 

The Dream Up! Cohort 3 application period is now open. This cohort will fund nine additional communities who will receive strategic planning support and $75,000 in grant funding. Additional $5,000 stipends will be allocated to participating child care providers who submit updated business plans during the strategic planning process. Through a collaborative community approach, teams of community stakeholders, will work to evaluate, plan, sustain, and expand existing child care, and support new child care programs. Learn more and submit an application on the Dream Up! webpage. 

The deadline to submit an application is March 17, 2023.  

Upcoming Webinars 

Attend a webinar hosted by First Children’s Finance on March 2 at 12 p.m. and 7 p.m. CST. 

• Register for the 12 p.m. session
• Register for the 7 p.m. session

If you missed the kick-off webinar hosted by DCF on February 20, it was recorded and will be made available for on-demand viewing soon.

You can also read the press release for Cohort 3 on the DCF website.  

Wisconsin Shares Policy Reminder: Employee Discounts  

Child care providers may offer discounts to employees who receive Wisconsin Shares child care subsidy funds. Please remind employees who receive Wisconsin Shares that they are responsible for reporting their discount to their local agency. Discounts must also be described on the Provider Parent Payment Agreement form. Providers should only accept the subsidy amount they are charging with the discount.

A provider may not charge a parent who receives Wisconsin Shares a higher child care price than a private pay parent unless the difference is due to the children being in different age ranges or a child's disability status.

Questions? Please contact your local agency.

Early Childhood Health Consultation Vaccine Webinar

In this 60-minute webinar, Dr. Dipesh Navsaria (Pediatrician & Early Childhood Health Consultation Director) will offer a general overview of childhood immunizations, a basic understanding of how they work, and how they prevent and reduce the risk of significant illnesses. Dr. Navsaria will also discuss approaches on how to discuss the subject with parents in a compassionate and understanding manner. Time will be available following the presentation for live question and answer.

Straight Talk About Vaccines
March 2, 2023
1 p.m.-2 p.m. CT
Register for the webinar.

Join the Early Childhood Health Consultation, a Registry Training Sponsored Organization, in exploring best health and safety practices for early childhood care and education. Opportunity for continuing education credits for early childhood providers with the Registry may be available.

See the March 2023 flyer for more information. After registering, a confirmation email will follow-up with details on joining the webinar. Questions? Reach out to the Early Childhood Health Consultation team at echc@sohe.wisc.edu.

DECE is Hiring Multiple Positions

• The Milwaukee Early Care Administration is recruiting to fill a Child Care Subsidy Lead This position provides accountability and oversight of the Wisconsin Shares program authorization unit by serving as a lead worker and ensuring staff awareness of and compliance with regulatory requirements. The deadline to apply for this position is February 22.
• The Bureau of YoungStar is recruiting to fill a Strategic Quality Initiatives Section Manager This position is responsible for coordinating and leading policy development, planning, program coordination, consultation, and monitoring of and relating to multiple statewide child care quality improvement projects. The deadline to apply for this position is February 27.
• The Bureau of Child Care Subsidy Administration is recruiting to fill two Section Manager positions: a Program Integrity Section Manager and a Wisconsin Shares Policy Section Manager. These positions can be headquartered at our 201 West Washington Avenue, Madison, office or our 635 North 26^th Street, Milwaukee, office. Please see the posting for further details. The deadline to apply for these positions is March 3.

The Department of Children and Families offers excellent benefits and a flexible, hybrid work environment with many positions having the ability to work primarily remote. To learn more about the position and to apply, visit Wisc.Jobs.

Reminder: 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.