August 6 Child Care Provider Updates

2024 Market Rate Survey Shows Decline in Child Care Affordability

Governor Evers and the Department of Children of Families (DCF) have announced the results of the 2024 Market Rate Survey, which found that:

  • Child care provider prices increased significantly between 2022 and 2023, the same timeframe during which Child Care Counts payments were reduced by half to stay within the budget that DCF was allocated for the program.
  • As a result of these price increases, the buying power of the Wisconsin Shares child care subsidy for working families has decreased by nearly 25%.

In response to these findings DCF Secretary Emilie Amundson said, “Child care providers have been very clear that without a long-term state investment, they will need to raise their prices. Without a program like Child Care Counts, we can expect to see these numbers continue to increase and more families priced out of care, which will ultimately hurt our state’s workforce and economy.”

Read the Governor’s press release and the full 2024 Market Rate Survey for details.

Encourage Your Families to Request Fall Child Care Authorizations!

Do you currently service families who are utilizing Wisconsin Shares subsidy? With fall fast approaching, this is a great time to encourage your families to use the Parent Portal to request their fall authorization.

Using the MyWIChildCare Parent Portal is a handy way for your families to request authorizations. And Milwaukee County parents can easily schedule an appointment at a time that works best for them and take care of other tasks related to their authorization!

Help us to remind your families to use the Parent Portal to simplify and expedite the authorization process.

Here are a few things parents can do on the Parent Portal: 

  • View child care authorizations
  • Schedule an appointment for an authorization request (Milwaukee County only)
  • Request a new authorization or make changes to a current authorization
  • Check the balance on your MyWIChildCare EBT card and track your payments
  • Sign up to receive a text message alerts on your cell phone when you have a new message in the Parent Portal
  • Track all authorization requests entered in the Parent Portal using the Track My Requests button

More Families Can Get Help Paying for Child Care!

In July, income eligibility requirements for the Wisconsin Shares program increased,  meaning more Wisconsin families may be able to get help paying for child care.

Do you have parents struggling to pay for child care? We want to help families access affordable quality care! Please share this new income limit information with your families and encourage them to apply for Wisconsin Shares. Even if they’ve been denied in the past, they may be eligible now! Visit the Wisconsin Shares parent webpage and click on Income Eligibility Increase to learn more.

You can also help spread the word by using the Wisconsin Shares Media Kit to share social media posts and images, as well as posters to hang in your center, and flyers to give to families. Posters and flyers can be downloaded for free from the DCF website. Download these resources for your families today!

Training and Technical Assistance Professional (T-TAP) Course Series this Fall

Supporting Families Together Association is offering the Training and Technical Assistance Professional (T-TAP) Course Series this fall. Please see the course series flyer for more information. Cost: $250/course.

July Child Care Counts Application Period is Closed

The latest payment program update period is closed. Applications for the July Child Care Counts: Stabilization Payment Program are being reviewed. Providers will be notified of their eligibility for funds by August 16, 2024, via a payment letter uploaded to the Child Care Provider Portal.

The next update period is August 24 – September 1, 2024. See the Child Care Counts Calendar for future Count and Update Weeks.

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.

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.

  • Child Care Health Consultation Webinar Series
    • Sign up to attend the Child Care Health Consultation Webinar Series: Managing Common Illnesses to Support Health Learning Environments being offered by the Office of Child Care Administration for Children and Families. Germs and bacteria can disrupt early childhood programs. It is important to watch for common signs and symptoms of illness and know what to do next. Child care health consultants (CCHCs) help staff understand and prevent infectious diseases. Learn more at the webinar!
      • Wednesday, August 14 – 2-3 p.m. ET (1-2 p.m. CT)
      • Register Online
         
  • Peer-to-Peer Networking Calls for YoungStar Connect School-Age Programs 
  • Effective Communication Skills for Supervisors – WEESSN
    • Join us to explore different communication styles and critical communication skills, including reflective listening and providing feedback, with time to review and practice these skills. If you’re not already enrolled in WECA’s shared services network, we’ll sign you up for WEESSN when you register for the session – it’s 100% free. This is one of many great professional development opportunities WECA offers – learn more on our website today!
      • Training: Tuesday, August 6, 6:30-7:30 p.m., English and Spanish
      • Workshop: Tuesday, August 20, 6:30-7:30 p.m., English and Spanish
      • More information and registration – Click on the WEESSN Training Calendar