November 7 Child Care Provider Updates November Child Care Counts Update Week Starts Saturday Get ready – the next Child Care Counts Update Week is November 11-19, 2023. Organize your records now so you are ready for Update Week. Providers will be notified of their eligibility for funds for their October applications by November 10, 2023, via a payment letter uploaded to the Child Care Provider Portal. Update/Application Week Reminders You must review, update, and resubmit your application every month. See the Child Care Counts Calendar for future Count and Update 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. 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, please email DCFDECECOVID19CCPayments@wisconsin.gov or call and speak with a Support Center Specialist at 608-535-3650. Child Care Counts Información en español. Wisconsin Shares Provider Closure Policy Under newly published DCF policy, families may use Wisconsin Shares child care subsidy to pay for two weeks of provider closure per calendar year. Providers can also retain payments for state government legal holidays, which can be found at Wis. Stat. s. 230.35(4)(a). State government legal holidays are not counted in the two weeks of closure. For more information on this policy, see Operations Memo 23-29. The Wisconsin Shares Handbook will be updated with this policy in the coming months. Reporting a closure for these purposes is not required. Providers must continue to report closures that are required to be reported for licensing or certification. Contact your local child care agency with questions. You can find a local child care contact by going to the Provider Child Care Contact List. Changes to COVID-19 Reporting Requirements The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) has announced that as of November 1, 2023, individual cases of COVID-19 are no longer considered a Category I reportable communicable disease unless a confirmed or probable case is associated with a hospitalization or pediatric death. Therefore, licensed child care programs are no longer required to report individual cases of COVID-19 to their Licensing Specialists and all regulated programs are no longer required to report to their local public health departments unless it is directly associated with a pediatric hospitalization or death. While individual cases will not be required to report, DHS is continuing to classify COVID-19 outbreaks as a Category I reportable condition. DHS defines “outbreak” as an unusual aggregation of health events that are grouped together in a short time period and a limited geographic area. Per DHS guidance, licensed programs should report the following incidents to your regional licensing office and all regulated programs should report to your local public health department: Patterns or known linkages between multiple COVID-19 cases High levels of syndrome-specific or illness-based absenteeism among staff or students Clusters of ill students and/or staff that are in the same classroom, age group, or have attended a common event or extracurricular activity High levels of COVID-19 transmission in the child care center, core group, or associated extracurricular activities (such as a field trip) While reporting requirements are changing, exposure and isolation recommendations are remaining the same. DHS and DCF are currently working to update all COVID-19-associated webpages to reflect this new information. If you have any questions, please reach out to your assigned Licensing Specialist or regional licensing office. Helpful Links Wisconsin Department of Health Services COVID-19 Memo Child Care Licensing Contacts DHS Local Public Health Contacts Tuesday Talks: October Recording Now Available Did you miss the October Tuesday Talks with DECE? In October we revisited both Child Care Counts and the Wisconsin Shares child care subsidy program. The link to the recording is now available in the October 17, 2023, accordion on the Tuesday Talks with DECE Recordings webpage. Tuesday Talks with DECE are held the third Tuesday of each month at 1:30 p.m. The next webinar is November 21 at 1:30 p.m. and the topics include Child Care Counts, the YoungStar Quality Adjustment, and Early Childhood Health Consultation. Learn more about Tuesday Talks on the DCF website. Información de las charlas del martes en español. DHS Launches Wisconsin Wayfinder: Children’s Resource Network The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) recently launched Wisconsin Wayfinder: Children’s Resource Network, which supports families of children with delays, disabilities, special health care needs, and mental health conditions. Children’s resource guides are helpers who assist families, caregivers, professionals, and organizations in finding a wide array of supports and services available through the Children’s Resource Network. Their services are free and confidential. More information about this resource is available from DHS. The Wisconsin Registry Membership Application is now FREE! General membership application for the Wisconsin Registry is now free to all! Any individual new to the Wisconsin Registry or renewing their application can apply for free! For those renewing with a current membership, there's no rush to renew now. The Wisconsin Registry recommends waiting closer to your expiration date to apply. Individuals applying to be a Wisconsin Registry Trainer or Technical Assistance Professional for the first time will still have to pay a $15 endorsement fee. The annual fee to become a Wisconsin Registry approved Training Sponsor Organization (TSO) remains the same at $25. Please contact the Wisconsin Registry at support@wiregistry.org with any questions. WECA REWARD Stipends: Important Program Update The statewide REWARD Wisconsin Stipend Program requirements have been updated to include a new way to meet longevity criteria. Applicants now can be eligible by demonstrating six months at their program or six months in the field, making the program available to even more of Wisconsin’s early childhood educators. Other eligibilities apply. Share the information with staff or colleagues to ensure everyone gets their REWARD! Get more details and review the application on WECA’s website.
