August 28 Child Care Provider Updates Gov. Evers Wraps Up Statewide Child Care Tour Highlighting $8.7 Million in First Round of Child Care Bridge Payments to Over 3,000 Providers Statewide Gov. Evers wrapped up his statewide tour visiting child care providers across the state to highlight the first round of direct payments awarded to providers through the Child Care Bridge Payments program. Funds from this first month’s payment, totaling $8.7 million, were awarded to more than 3,100 providers across the state and will support the retention of 25,531 staff and the care of 126,181 kids. Read more about the Governor’s statewide tour. New Measles Cases in Wisconsin On August 22, 2025, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) reported five additional cases of measles in Wisconsin, bringing the total to 14 cases. Measles is highly contagious and can spread quickly and easily in people who are unvaccinated. Ensuring the children in your facility are up to date on childhood vaccines is the best way to prevent measles and keep children healthy and in care. Encourage families who are not vaccinated to talk to a trusted health care provider about what vaccines their child may need. Families who are worried about the cost of vaccines may be eligible for the Vaccines for Children program. If there is a confirmed case of a communicable disease in a child enrolled at a regulated child care program, it must be reported to DCF and your local health department within 24 hours after the program has been notified of the diagnosis. Additional Measles Information Resources Immunizations: Get the Facts About Vaccines | Wisconsin Department of Health Services Immunizations: Measles – Wisconsin Department of Health Services Should I Get a Measles Booster Fact Sheet Early Childhood Health Consultation Program WI Department of Health Services Child Care Immunization Record (will meet licensing requirements for immunization documentation) – DHS-F-44192 Wisconsin Childhood Communicable Disease Chart – Wisconsin Department of Health Services Head Start 1302.42 Child Health Status and Care August Child Care Bridge Payments Update Period Closes Soon – Apply Today! Time is running out to complete required updates on your August Child Care Bridge Payments application. The deadline is Sunday, August 31 at 11:59 p.m. How to Apply The Child Care Bridge Payments application is available in the Child Care Provider Portal. If you have not yet applied for Child Care Bridge Payments, see the Application Guide for information about submitting your initial application. Update Week Reminders Once you are approved for payments, you must update your application every month. Please be sure to review any information that is copied over from the previous month and update all new information as required. Upload verification documents only if needed This includes child and staff records, if updates are needed. If your program was closed for the entire count week (for example, seasonal closures) or if you no longer wish to receive payments, you must withdraw your application during Update Week. Application Resources Submitting Your Child Care Bridge Payments Application Guide Update Week Guide – step-by-step instructions for updating and re-submitting your application Uploading Documents to the Child Care Provider Portal Guide If you have questions or need assistance, please contact the Child Care Payments Support Center by email DCFDECECOVID19CCPayments@wisconsin.gov or call and speak with a support center specialist at 608-535-3650, M-F, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Red Cross Disaster Relief and Recovery The American Red Cross is offering disaster relief to individuals impacted by flooding in Wisconsin. Assistance includes food, shelter, and financial assistance to those who have qualifying damage to their primary homes. Qualifying damage includes homes that have more than 18 inches of water in the first floor living space. This does not include businesses that have sustained flooding damage. The American Red Cross can also assist with other needs, such as finding temporary shelter/housing, accessing mental health assistance, other financial assistance, and health services. To learn more about flooding assistance, call the American Red Cross at 800-236-8680 or visit the American Red Cross website. In addition, 211 Wisconsin continues to be a vital resource for flood victims. If you need assistance getting connected to resources or finding services, dial 211 or visit the 211 Wisconsin website. Flood Assistance Resources American Red Cross Wisconsin Floods Assistance (Spanish information located on second half of webpage) 211 Wisconsin Disaster Report After Flood Precautions and Radon Testing As families continue to clean up from the August 10 flooding, it is important to consider health and safety risks and take proper precautions. If you were unable to dry your home within 24 to 48 hours after the flooding, it is recommended that you assume you have mold growth. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has provided a digital guide that provides instruction on mold clean-up for those impacted by flooding. If your home or building has sustained significant foundational damage from flooding or must undergo reconstruction work due to flooding damage, it is recommended that individuals retest for radon once repairs are complete and excess moisture is no longer a problem. If you were conducting a radon test while flooding occurred, it is recommended to discard the test and conduct a new one. If you have any questions regarding testing precautions after flood damage, please contact your regional Child Care Licensing office or your Child Care Certifier. If you have questions regarding radon, contact your local Radon Information Center or call 1-888-LOW-RADON (1-888-569-7236). Wisconsin Radon Resources Wisconsin Department of Health Services: Testing for Radon Wisconsin Department of Health Services: Radon Information Center Contact Information Early Childhood Health Consultation Program Pause With gratitude and heavy hearts, we’re sharing that the Early Childhood Health Consultation (ECHC) program will be temporarily paused starting September 5 because the Governor’s recommended biennial budget investment in the program was not funded by the Legislature.. Our website, educational resources (including webinar recordings and podcast recordings) will remain available, but new offerings and consultations will be on hold. We’re actively seeking funding to resume our work supporting early care and education providers across Wisconsin. Thank you for your trust, partnership, and dedication to creating safe, healthy, and nurturing environments for children. Read our full update and stay up to date by subscribing to our newsletter. Reminder: Encourage Your Families to Request their Fall Authorizations! Do you currently serve families using 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. Here are a few things parents can do in 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 their MyWIChildCare EBT card and track payments Sign up to receive a text message alerts on a cell phone when there are new messages in the Parent Portal Track all authorization requests entered in the Parent Portal using the Track My Requests button Reminder: DCF is Hiring for the Northern Licensing/Certification Specialist Are you passionate about supporting the health, safety, and quality of care for young children? If you're an experienced child care teacher or early care educator looking to expand your impact beyond the classroom, consider joining our team as a Child Care Licensing Specialist with the Bureau of Early Care Regulation. The Division of Early Care and Education (DECE), Bureau of Early Care Regulation (BECR), is currently recruiting to fill a Licensing/Certification Specialist position in our Northern Region headquartered in Rhinelander, WI. Our Northern regional office is located at 2187 N. Stevens St. in Rhinelander, WI and is comprised primarily of field work requiring on-site, in-person visits approximately 3-4 days per week within the region. DCF has fleet vehicles available for use for required travel. Hybrid work options will be discussed further during the interview. Employees will be required to report to Madison, WI or Milwaukee, WI on their first day of employment. High-speed internet access is required to meet the needs of hybrid work. Come see why DCF is such a great place to work! The deadline to apply is September 15, 2025. Learn more about this position on Wisc.Jobs. 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. Virtual: Keeping Children Safe: Staying Aware With Child Tracking Evaluate the effectiveness of your supervision and tracking systems to improve real-time responsiveness. Practice staying alert and situationally aware to recognize early signs of potential danger. Spanish interpretation not available. Virtual | September 11 | 5-6:30 p.m. Register through the Wisconsin Registry. | Registration closes September 8, 2025 Questions? Contact Mary Niec at mniec@youngstarconnect.com The Spark Retreat – Learning 4 Life Join Learning 4 Life’s Spark Retreat for a weekend retreat! This two-night, all-inclusive getaway was created especially for family child care providers who are ready to pause, recharge, and reconnect with their “why” in this work. September 12-14, 2025 | Chippewa Falls, WI | Learn more and register. Questions? Contact Michelle at 715-721-4844 or email l4lhappylearning@gmail.com Give Child Care Business Coaching Another Look Did you work with a WEESSN Business Coach in the past? Do you miss the one-on-one support? Ready to make some changes and take your business to the next level? Come back to Wisconsin Early Education Shared Services Network! Check out all the details on WECA's website.
