June 20 Child Care Provider Updates

NOTE: due to the July 4 holiday, the listserv message will be moved to July 5.

Child Care Counts Updates  

Application/Update Week June 17-25 

There are only a few days left to apply/update your June Child Care Counts application. The deadline is Sunday, June 25 at 11:59 p.m.  

If you were approved for payment in May 

• Update your application in the Provider Portal during the week of June 17-25 
• Upload verification documents if prompted to do so in the application. 
• Indicate if you were open during the count week, verify any temporary closures, and make any changes to children/staff during the count week. 
• Click/tap “submit” in your updated application. Your application status should change from “Review Needed” to “Submitted” once you have successfully updated your application. 
• See the Update Guide and Update Week section of the FAQs for more information. 

If you did not apply in May or were not approved 

• You may submit your application in the Provider Portal during the week of June 17-25 
• You must upload verification documents with your initial Round 3 application. You cannot submit an initial application without uploading the following documents:  
• Program A – Child Attendance Records   
• Program B – Staff Records (employment status, part/full-time status, and current wages/rate of pay), and Child Attendance Records (if they were not already uploaded for Program A)  
• Review the Frequently Asked Questions and see our helpful videos and resource guides to help you complete your application this week.  

Reminder: Providers must be approved for funding during one of the first four (4) months to be eligible for future payments. The program’s funding will not allow for providers to join the program after the August 2023 payment round.  If you wish to participate in Child Care Counts Stabilization Round 3, you must submit an application and be approved for payment during at least one of the May, June, July, or August 2023 payment rounds. 

Payment Amounts for May 

Providers were notified of their eligibility for funds on June 16, 2023, via a payment letter uploaded to the Child Care Provider Portal.  

IMPORTANT NOTE: DCF is aware of an error in the Program B per-staff amounts on the May 2023 payment letters. The total amount awarded for eligible providers is correct. However, the amounts displayed for the breakdown of Base Per-Staff and Quality Incentive Per-Staff listed the previous round’s amounts, rather than the new calculations to reflect the 50% decrease for May.  

Providers will receive a revised May payment letter with the corrected amounts in the coming weeks.  

The calculations for Program B are listed below, as well as on the How Payments are Determined section of our webpage.   

Please see the new Child Care Counts Updates section for new Frequently Asked Questions regarding Round 3.

Join us for the Tuesday Talks with DECE webinar TODAY, June 20 at 1:30 p.m. We will have a brief discussion on the status of the biennial budget and spend the rest of the talk on My YoungStar Connect. 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. 

If you need assistance, email DCFDECECOVID19CCPayments@wisconsin.gov or call and speak with a Support Center Specialist at 608-535-3650. Note: The Support Center is not open on weekends.  

Child Care Counts Información en español. 

Now Live: Access the YoungStar Connect Help Desk!

Need support with your YoungStar Contract? Want to request one-on-one coaching? The YoungStar Connect Help Desk is available to answer your questions or guide you in the right direction! Access the YoungStar Connect Help Desk in whichever way works for you!

• Call us at 1-833-YNG-STAR (964-7827), or find your local number on the YoungStar Connect website.
• Email us at help@youngstarconnect.com. 
• Chat with us during standard business hours through the newly launched chat feature.

You support Wisconsin's children and families, let the YoungStar Connect Help Desk support you! 

Your ideas and feedback are important to the YoungStar Connect team.

Visit youngstarconnect.com to learn more, including more about who is on the Wisconsin team, or email us at help@youngstarconnect.com. 

Child Care Immunization Assessments are Due

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) emailed the Child Care assessment booklets to all licensed child care centers and camps in May. Child Care Immunization booklets were to be submitted last Friday, June 16. Thank you to everyone that has submitted their assessment!

If you have not yet submitted your assessment, you may access the assessment online. Assessments completed online are automatically sent to both state and local health departments; providers do not need to mail in a separate paper copy.

If you are having difficulties submitting your assessment online, please contact Laura Gregor at (608) 267-9959 or via email at lauraa.gregor@dhs.wisconsin.gov to complete your assessment over the phone. Thank you for your partnership!

DECE is Hiring Multiple Positions

DCF/Division of Early Care and Education (DECE) is hiring.

• The Bureau of YoungStar, Special Projects and Federal Initiatives Unit, is recruiting to fill a Program & Policy Supervisor This position will be responsible for supervisory management and leadership support to positions within DECE. The selected candidate will work across divisions and the Administrator’s Office, creating and refining program policies and procedures for quality initiative programs and will make recommendations regarding other new federal initiatives to align with division and bureau goals and efforts. The deadline to apply for this position is July 4.
   
• The Bureau of YoungStar is currently recruiting to fill a Program and Policy Analyst-Advanced position in Milwaukee. This position creates, refines, and administers statewide Early Care and Education (ECE) and school-age care quality improvement initiatives. The deadline to apply for this position is June 25.
   
• The Bureau of Early Care Regulation is recruiting to fill a 60% Office Manager position in their Rhinelander office. This position coordinates and directs all office operational activities including space and facility management, communication systems, computer operations, equipment, supplies, printing, purchasing, report activity, fleet management, records management, and forms management. The deadline to apply for this position is June 20.
   

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, view all open DCF positions, and to apply, visit Wisc.Jobs.