July 2 Child Care Provider Updates Update Your June Child Care Counts Application This Week Time is running out to complete your June Child Care Counts application! The deadline to apply is 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, July 7. Update/Application Week Reminders You must review, update, and resubmit your application every month. Be sure to carefully review the child and staff lists for attendance and payroll status during the Count Week and click “submit” once you have completed your review/update. Review the Updating Your Child Care Counts Information During Update Week video to learn how to make application modifications during Update Week. Spending Deadline Reminder All Stabilization Payment Program Funds must be spent within 120 days of the payment letter date. The spending deadline for February 2024 funds is July 6, 2024. 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. Ask Your Program’s Families to Take the YoungStar Child Care Survey Help make Wisconsin child care better! DCF wants to hear from parents about their thoughts on quality child care. Please share the link to our survey with your program’s families by posting it in your center, in your newsletter, or on your webpage. And, if you haven’t already taken our survey, please take it today! Results of the survey will be used to help us improve YoungStar for all Wisconsin families and programs. Learn more about the YoungStar Analysis and Update Project. Group Policy Sample for Providers is Live! The Policy Sample for Group Child Care Centers is now available for providers to use! The Department of Children and Families administrative rule requires that licensees must develop, submit to the department, implement, and provide to parents current written policies and procedures that reflect the program’s current practices. The group policy sample assists with assuring that all required items are included in the child care center’s policy while allowing the center to customize the document to the unique needs and circumstances of the center. This document is not required and is a voluntary tool that providers can use if they wish. Both the template and the instructions for use can be found on DCF’s Form Search page. As a reminder, the family template is also available online for family child care providers. If you have any questions, please contact your assigned Licensing Specialist. DCF is Hiring for the Bureau of YoungStar Director Position The Division of Early Care and Education (DECE), Bureau of YoungStar (BOY) is currently recruiting to fill the Bureau of YoungStar Director position. This position may allow hybrid work for a portion of the work schedule up to 90% depending on the employee’s preference and needs of the work unit. The position sets policy and implements programs to promote access to quality care and education, while also furthering DECE’s vision of supporting Wisconsin’s child care system, with a focus on access, quality, affordability, and workforce. For more details about this leadership role and how to apply, please visit Wisc.jobs. The deadline to apply is 11:59 PM on July 14, 2024. Early Childhood Feelings Thermometer Available Now available, the Early Childhood Feelings Thermometer is a visual aid for child care providers, early childhood educators, and families to use with young children ages 0-5 to help them begin to name emotions. Developed by the Wisconsin Office of Children’s Mental Health (OCMH), the thermometer features five zones. Each zone lists associated feelings and behaviors, with suggestions to help the child in the moment. Accompanying the thermometer is a simplified gauge with emoji faces which the child can point to and communicate how they are feeling. Both are available on the OCMH website in English, Spanish, and Hmong. Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&Rs) agencies will distribute an Early Childhood Feelings Thermometer kit to the child care facilities they work with over the summer and early fall. Child care facilities that would like to receive their kit ahead of this distribution can call their CCR&R. Upcoming Events and Education/Training Opportunities The below events are hosted by DCF, one of its partners, or is one that may be relevant to the early childhood field. Click/tap on the titles below to learn more about each event. Bottle Feeding the Breastfed Baby – Free ECHC Webinar – Caring for breastfed babies? Or how best to bottle feed while supporting the breastfeeding relationship? Katie Talmadge, inpatient Lactation Consultant at American Family Children's Hospital, will describe helpful tools to use when caring for breastfed infants in your early childhood education program. Read more about the webinar. Alimentación con biberón para bebés amamantados. July 11 | 1-2 p.m. – Registration link Let’s Talk About Time-Outs – Join YoungStar Connect and The Registry for a three-session virtual group coaching learning experience on Zoom. Learn about revised regulations around time-outs and what this means for your program, and how to stay in compliance while ensuring that both kids and caregivers get what they need to be successful. Register and learn more today! Training Dates July 11, 6-8 p.m. July 18, 6-8 p.m. July 25, 6-7 p.m.
