Wisconsin’s Early Learning and Development Guidelines Revision Project In partnership with the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) and Department of Health Services (DHS), the Department of Children and Families (DCF) is updating the Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standards (WMELS). The reason for this revision project is to incorporate: User feedback New research in the field Promising innovations from other states Latest Project Update This July and August, DCF and other state and local partners conducted a public review of the draft WI ELDGs. The public input sought reactions on: Usability, clarity, accessibility, and statewide relevance of the content What is needed to support future implementation of the ELDGs It resulted in 921 unique comments from 201 individuals in 48 counties and ten Tribal Nations. Almost half of the comments offered ideas for implementation such as training, handouts for parents/families, tip sheets, and short summaries of key concepts. This input will be used to shape implementation plans that will be announced later this year. All other suggestions were logged by Marzano Research and reviewed by the cross-agency project Core Team and ELDG Revision Advisory Committee. Enhancements stemming from the feedback were incorporated and the ELDGs are now in leadership review at DCF, DPI, and DHS before being translated and published later this year. Training/Implementation Update Until further notice, early childhood professionals should continue to use WMELS and access WMELS trainings. WMELS training is sufficient to meet all state requirements for early childhood workforce preparation, including Get Kids Ready requirements for WMELS alignment. Learn more about future training plans in the FAQs below. The Professional Development Network at UW-Milwaukee is working to identify implementation needs and design new ELDG trainings with support from UW Extension and experts from various sectors of Wisconsin’s early childhood workforce. A timeline for full implementation of the new ELDGs, training, and implementation resources will be announced later this year. Frequently Asked Questions What are ELDGs? ELDGs are a foundational tool for all early childhood professionals and families. They offer expectations of children’s growth and development to support learning, planning, collaboration, and assessment. They can also improve state and local systems that benefit all children and families served. In Wisconsin, our current ELDGs are the Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standards (WMELS). The core content of the WMELS has not changed in over 20 years. Research into brain science and early childhood development has evolved during this time. Updating the ELDGs could create opportunities to increase knowledge, consistency, and collaboration, and bring partners together to strengthen Wisconsin’s early childhood state system. Are ELDGs and WMELS the same thing? Essentially, yes! ‘Early learning and development guidelines’ (ELDGs) is the generic federal term used by all states. The Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standards (WMELS) currently fulfills federal ELDG requirements for the state of Wisconsin. The updated ELDGs will use a title that aligns to their legal federal name — the Wisconsin Early Learning and Development Guidelines (ELDGs). Use of the term ‘guidelines’ is intended to emphasize that the document offers developmentally appropriate guidance for use across the various settings, sectors, and roles that serve young children from birth to age 5. Why do we have ELDGs? It’s required by federal law. States must establish early learning and development guidelines, “describing what children [from birth to kindergarten entry] should know and be able to do and covering the essential domains of early childhood development.” It's also good for professionals, children, and families. Who uses ELDGs? Implementing this tool requires deep and broad partnerships. DCF is the lead state agency governing ELDG implementation in Wisconsin. We work with many partners, such as the Departments of Public Instruction (DPI) and Health Services (DHS), along with many others at regional support agencies and in local communities. Some of the programs and services who use ELDGs and/or are looking to expand their use include: School district Pre-K and kindergarten Child care Head Start Early Intervention Early Childhood Special Education Pre-service and in-service instructors and professional development trainers Home Visiting Family Resource Centers Child Welfare including CPS, foster care, and kinship care Libraries, children’s museums, play groups, camps, and more! Who is involved in the revision work? In 2025-26, DCF is leading a collaborative process to revise the ELDGs, maintaining a core team of partners from DPI and DHS, and an advisory workgroup representing many other state and local partners. They include: Family Foundations Home Visiting Family Resource Centers YoungStar Quality Rating and Improvement System Head Start DPI Early Childhood and Early Childhood Special Education DHS Bureau of Children’s Services DHS Division of Public Health, Maternal Child Health University of Wisconsin Extension This process will build on current collaboration and find new ways to connect system partners. In 2025, DCF conducted a national procurement process to identify a partner with significant experience leading early learning and development guidelines (ELDG) revision processes for states. That partner, Marzano Research, is leading the development of the next version of our state’s ELDGs. How did the project engage early childhood professionals and the public? In late 2025, Marzano Research led a public review process of our state’s ELDGs. The results are available in the Wisconsin ELDG Revision Project Phase 1 Findings Brief. A Spanish version of this document is also available. In July and August 2026, a complete draft of the revised ELDGs was released for public review. Members of the early childhood workforce, parents and families, and the public were invited to submit responses to a survey to share their reactions to the draft document. The input collected during the draft release period has been reviewed by Marzano Research and the project team and incorporated into the final draft. What are the next steps in the revision process? Preparing for final editing and review, translation, and publication of the updated WI ELDGs later this year. Planning for an adequate transition period for early childhood professionals to learn about and implement the updated ELDGs. Plan and timeline coming soon! Developing training and other resources to support future implementation of the WI ELDGs. What training will be available on the updated ELDGs? To meet future training needs around the WI ELDGs, DCF is partnering with the Professional Development Network (PDN) at UW-Milwaukee - a respected partner with over twenty years of experience that currently provides training support for thousands of staff across child welfare, community health, early intervention, and other systems. PDN already houses training for Family Foundations Home Visiting, Family Support Professionals at Family Resource Centers, and child welfare professionals. The Child Care Foundational Training courses are also migrating to PDN. During the fall of 2026, DCF and DPI are working with PDN to identify opportunities for future trainings on the updated ELDGs. A timeline for full implementation of the new ELDGs, trainings, and implementation resources will be announced later this year. Prior to the release of new WI ELDG training, current WMELS trainings that are supported by the Wisconsin Early Childhood Collaborating Partners will continue uninterrupted. There will also be an adequate transition period for the field to become familiar with and begin implementing the revised ELDGs. Throughout the transition, the WMELS documents and trainings will remain available to the field. The plan and timeline for this transition period will be announced later this year. DCF and its partners are grateful for the Wisconsin Early Childhood Collaborating Partners’ work to develop and support WMELS resources for many years. Until further notice, early childhood professionals should continue to use WMELS and access WMELS trainings. WMELS training is sufficient to meet all state requirements for early childhood workforce preparation, including Get Kids Ready requirements for WMELS alignment. Who can answer my questions about the project? If you have other questions, please contact dcfweldg@wisconsin.gov.
