Supporting child care providers serving 4-year-olds Información en español Making sure children have the skills to thrive in school and in life is important. Starting in 2026, Get Kids Ready is a new school readiness initiative to support licensed and certified child care providers serving 4-year-olds. Child care providers who meet the eligibility criteria and decide to participate will receive payments for each eligible child participating in their school readiness program. DCF will be working in the weeks and months ahead to implement Get Kids Ready as required. Additional information will be shared through the DCF Child Care Provider Listserv, Tuesday Talks, and this webpage. Submit Your Intent to Participate by February 1, 2026 Important Dates The school year for Get Kids Ready is defined as July 1 - June 30. The table below outlines important dates for the 2026-27 school year. Program Enrollment Timeline Open Close Step 1: Intent to Participate January 6 February 1 DCF to post list of child care providers who submitted an Intent to Participate to website by February 15 Step 2: Eligibility Verification Application Early April May 15 Notification of eligibility status (rolling basis) by June 2 DCF to post finalized list of child care providers who are eligible to participate to website June 2 Step 3: Payment Application Periods See chart below Payment Application Periods Timeline Service Period Application Period Count Period Payment Date July-September 2026 9/1-9/20/2026 8/17-9/11/2026 9/30/2026 October-November 2026 11/2-11/18/2026 10/12-11/16/2026 11/30/2026 December 2026 - February 2027 2/2-2/17/2027 1/11-2/5/2027 2/26/2027 March-June 2027 5/3-5/19/2027 4/12-5/7/2027 5/28/2027 Definition of Terms Count Period The point in time for which child enrollment information is collected for payment calculations. Enrollment A child is considered enrolled in Get Kids Ready if they have a completed, provider-accepted child application on file with the provider, they are enrolled with the intent to attend all Get Kids Ready instruction offered by the provider, and they attend Get Kids Ready at that provider at least one day during the count period. Good Standing The term good standing means a provider is in compliance with all legal, financial, and regulatory requirements imposed by law or department rule, including the following: In compliance with child care background check requirements. Regulated and in compliance with administrative rules for child care providers as outlined by the DCF Bureau of Early Care Regulation (BECR) and are not currently subject to a revocation, suspension, or denial of a license or certification. Currently repaying any overpayment or in compliance with any Repayment Agreement, if any Wisconsin Shares, Partner Up!, Child Care Counts, or Child Care Bridge Payments overpayments are owed. Intent to Participate The form a child care provider submits by February 1, in the Provider Portal, to signal their intent to participate in Get Kids Ready for the upcoming school year. The Intent to Participate collects the child care program’s contact information and the maximum number of slots a child care provider intends to make available for Get Kids Ready. Information collected from the Intent to Participate will be posted publicly on DCF’s website. Providers must also acknowledge that they understand the requirements of the program. Payment Application The application a child care provider submits to request payment during each service period. This application verifies that the provider has met all program participation requirements for the service period, including child enrollment information. Payment Days The days when DCF issues payment for each service period. Providers will receive a payment letter that indicates amount paid on the payment date. Program For purposes of Get Kids Ready, a child care program is defined as an individual child care program location. Program Eligibility Verification Application The application a child care provider completes to confirm their program location meets all eligibility requirements to participate in the Get Kids Ready program. The application collects information about the program schedule, curriculum, staff qualifications, and compliance with program standards. This is completed annually after the provider submits their Intent to Participate, but before the start of the school year. School Year The school year for Get Kids Ready runs yearly from July 1 - June 30. Service Period There are four service periods throughout the school year which payments will be distributed for. Service periods are: July-September October-November December- February March-June Application Requirements Read the Application Requirements for Get Kids Ready. Overview of Get Kids Ready for Child Care Providers Yearly Program Get Kids Ready will run every year with child care providers offering school readiness programming between July 1 and June 30. Cost to Families The Get Kids Ready program is free to families. Child care providers cannot charge families for Get Kids Ready instruction. Participating providers will receive state funding for those hours. Child care providers can charge families for additional time that children are in care beyond the Get Kids Ready instruction hours. Eligibility for Children A child is eligible to participate if: They are 4-years-old on or before September 1 of the school year they plan to participate The child’s parent or guardian submits an application to participate in the program, on a form prepared by DCF, to a participating provider A participating child care provider has accepted the child’s application to attend Get Kids Ready Process Overview Intent to Participate – Child care providers must submit an Intent to Participate in Get Kids Ready between January 5 and February 1, 2026. The Intent to Participate signifies interest in participating in the Get Kids Ready program along with understanding of the Get Kids Ready program requirements. Program Eligibility Verification Application – After submitting an Intent to Participate, child care providers must then submit materials to verify they meet the Get Kids Ready program eligibility requirements. This Program Eligibility Verification Application will open in April and must be submitted by May 15, 2026. Eligibility Notification – DCF will notify all providers who submitted verification of their eligibility determination no later than June 2, 2026. Payment Applications – Child care providers must submit four (4) Payment Applications throughout the year for each service period they wish to receive payment for: September (covering the service period of July, August, and September) November (covering the service period of October and November) February (covering the service period of December, January, and February) May (covering the service period of March, April, May, and June) Early Childhood Mixed Delivery System Options* for 4-Year-Olds in Wisconsin Program Description Who is Eligible? Location Oversight Cost to Families Child Care Provide early care and education for children before they begin school, before and after school, and during school breaks. Eligibility varies based on the type of child care program and ages accepted. At centers, family homes, or seasonal day camps. Regulated by Wisconsin’s Department of Children and Families (DCF) Prices vary by provider. Some families are eligible for the Wisconsin Shares child care subsidy which helps lower costs. Four-Year-Old Kindergarten (4K) and 4K Community Approaches (4KCA) School districts can choose to offer four-year-old kindergarten (4K) and must make it available to all eligible 4-year-olds if they do. Nearly all Wisconsin school districts offer 4K. A child must be 4 years old on or before September 1 of the school year and reside in a school district that offers the program to be eligible for 4K and 4KCA programs. At a school. Some districts also choose to contract with a community provider (e.g. child care, Head Start) to provide 4K (also known as 4KCA). Overseen by locally elected school boards; administered locally by school districts. Free to families in the school district. School funding comes from a mix of state funds administered by Wisconsin’s Department of Public Instruction (DPI) and local property tax revenue. Head Start and Early Head Start A federal preschool program that provides early learning, health, nutrition, and family support to eligible children and families. Serves children birth through five if they are in families experiencing poverty; homelessness; or are receiving public assistance; are in foster care; or have special needs. Pregnant women may also be eligible for Early Head Start services. At non-profits, schools, child care providers, community action agencies, home visiting, and other local grantees. Administered by the federal government and supported through DCF’s Head Start State Collaboration Office. Free for eligible families. Funds are provided directly to Head Start grant recipients from the federal Office of Head Start. Get Kids Ready Launching in 2026, a new program for 4-year-olds in child care to get school readiness instruction at their child care provider. Children must be 4 years old on or before September 1 of the school year for which they plan to participate. At participating licensed and certified child care providers. Administered by Wisconsin’s Department of Children and Families (DCF) Free to participating families. Funds are provided directly to participating child care providers from DCF. *Each community and school district may have different options, and we recommend that families reach out to both their community child care providers and their local school district to see what options are available to consider what works best for your family. Eligibility Requirements for Child Care Providers In order to participate in Get Kids Ready, certified and licensed child care providers are eligible if they: Are in compliance with all legal, financial, and regulatory requirements imposed by law or by department rule Will provide at least 437 hours of instruction in elementary school readiness per school year Use a curriculum that meets the Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standards Do not have a contract with a school district to provide 4K for the school year in which the provider intends to participate in Get Kids Ready Have lead teachers delivering Get Kids Ready instruction with an associate degree or bachelor’s degree Legal, Financial, and Regulatory Requirements Legal – To be eligible to participate in Get Kids Ready, child care providers must comply with all state and federal laws that govern child care operations in Wisconsin. Financial – To be eligible to participate in Get Kids Ready, child care providers must be repaying any overpayments and/or in compliance with any Repayment Agreement if any Wisconsin Shares, Partner Up!, Child Care Counts, or Child Care Bridge Payments overpayments are owed. Providers may not charge tuition or any program-specific fees for Get Kids Ready programming. They may charge tuition and fees for children who participate in Get Kids Ready for other care provided outside of Get Kids Ready hours. Regulatory – To be eligible to participate in Get Kids Ready, child care providers must be licensed or certified, in compliance with child care background check requirements, in compliance with administrative rules for child care providers as outlined by the DCF Bureau of Early Care Regulation (BECR), and not currently subject to a revocation, suspension, or denial of a license or certification. 437 Hours of Instruction Child care programs must provide at least 437 hours of instruction in elementary school readiness to children participating in Get Kids Ready between July 1, 2026, and June 30, 2027. Please see Program Eligibility Verification Application accordion for more information on how this will be demonstrated. WMELS Curriculum Child care providers participating in Get Kids Ready must use a curriculum that meets the Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standards. Please see Program Eligibility Verification Application accordion for more information on how this will be demonstrated. No Contract with School District for 4K Child care providers participating in Get Kids Ready cannot have a contract with a school district to provide 4K for the school year in which the provider intends to participate in Get Kids Ready. Child care providers can have contracts with a school district for services other than providing 4K and participate in Get Kids Ready. The only contract with a school district that would prevent a child care provider from participating in Get Kids Ready is a contract to provide 4K for the year the child care provider intends to participate in Get Kids Ready. Please see Program Eligibility Verification Application accordion for more information on how this will be demonstrated. Lead Teachers Lead teachers delivering Get Kids Ready instruction must have an associate degree or bachelor’s degree in any field of study. Please see Program Eligibility Verification Application accordion for more information on how this will be demonstrated. Intent to Participate The Intent to Participate for the 2026-27 school year is now open in the DCF Provider Portal and must be submitted by child care providers no later than February 1, 2026. Child care providers that do not submit an Intent to Participate by February 1, 2026, will not be able to participate in Get Kids Ready for the 2026-2027 school year. During the Intent to Participate, child care providers will: Enter contact information Indicate the maximum number of slots they plan on making available for Get Kids Ready. This will be the maximum number of slots they can receive payment for the school year Attest that they understand and agree to meet all Get Kids Ready eligibility and application requirements, including: Child care programs must be in compliance with all legal, financial, and regulatory requirements imposed by law or administrative rule. Child care programs must implement a curriculum that meets the Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standards (WMELS) for children participating in Get Kids Ready. Children being served in Get Kids Ready for the 2026-2027 school year must be 4 years old on or before September 1, 2026. Lead teachers providing instruction for Get Kids Ready must have an associate degree or bachelor’s degree, in any field of study. Child care programs must provide at least 437 hours of instruction in elementary school readiness to children participating in Get Kids Ready between July 1, 2026, and June 30, 2027. Child care programs may not have a contract with a school district to provide 4-year-old kindergarten for the 2026-2027 school year. After the Intent to Participate is submitted by February 1, 2026, child care providers will be required to verify they meet eligibility requirements in a Program Eligibility Verification Application, which opens in April 2026 and is due by May 15, 2026. Program Eligibility Verification Application Child care providers who submitted an Intent to Participate must also complete a Get Kids Ready Program Eligibility Verification Application which will be available in April 2026. Program Eligibility Verification Applications are due by May 15, 2026. When completing the Program Eligibility Verification Application providers will: Re-attest that they understand and meet all Get Kids Ready eligibility and application requirements listed in the Intent to Participate Verify and/or upload required evidence of meeting eligibility requirements, including: That Get Kids Ready lead teachers have an associate or bachelor’s degree, if you already have a lead teacher identified Note: This can be left blank at the time of the Program Eligibility Verification Application. Child care providers will need to confirm all lead teachers have an associate or bachelor’s degree during Payment Applications. A schedule showing at least 437 hours of Get Kids Ready instruction between July 1, 2026, and June 30, 2027 An indication of how their curriculum aligns with Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standards (WMELS) Confirm or reduce (but not increase from the number submitted in the Intent to Participate) the maximum number of Get Kids Ready slots they intend to make available. DCF will notify providers when their eligibility is verified on a rolling basis, but no later than June 2, 2026. The earliest date approved providers may begin offering Get Kids Ready services is July 1, 2026. Payment Applications Process Service Periods There are four service periods throughout the school year, in which payments will be made for. Service periods are: July-September October-November December- February March-June Payment Applications Child care providers will be required to submit a Payment Application for each of four (4) service periods for which they want to receive payment. Payment Applications will be due in September, November, February, and May. Each Payment Application will ask providers to: Confirm or update information from the Program Eligibility Verification Application List all children enrolled in Get Kids Ready during the applicable payment Count Period Child care providers may also be asked to respond to brief questions about Get Kids Ready implementation to help DCF understand how the program is being delivered and identify areas for improvement. Count Periods There will be four (4) Count Periods per year where child care providers will need to report on child enrollment in Get Kids Ready. Count Periods for the 2026-27 school year will be: August 17 – September 11 for the September Payment October 12 – November 16 for the November Payment January 11 – February 5 for the February Payment April 12 – May 7 for the May Payment Enrolling Families Enrollment A child is considered enrolled in Get Kids Ready if they: Have a completed, provider-accepted child application on file with the provider Are enrolled with the intent to attend all Get Kids Ready instruction offered by the provider (see the example below) Attend Get Kids Ready at that provider at least one day during the Count Period Example: If a child care provider schedules their Get Kids Ready program to deliver instruction daily, Monday through Friday, a child who is enrolled to attend only Tuesday and Thursday could not be considered enrolled in Get Kids Ready. However, a child can be considered enrolled if they are enrolled in Get Kids Ready Monday through Friday but miss days, such as sick or vacation days. Note: A child that enrolls at the child care provider mid-way through the Get Kids Ready school year can be considered enrolled for the relevant Service Period as long as they are enrolled with the intent to attend all Get Kids Ready instruction and meet the other criteria listed above. Child Application Child care providers will need to have a completed, provider-accepted Child Application on file for each child participating in their Get Kids Ready program. Note: Child care providers must use the provided DCF Child Application (DCF-F-5932). However, they should not send completed applications to DCF. They should retain the applications for their own records and for at least five (5) years from the date of the last payment under Get Kids Ready payment in the event of an audit. Participating Child Care Providers By February 15 the Department of Children and Families will post on our website a list of all participating child care providers, contact information, and the number of spaces available. Resources Provider Portal Resources Accessing the Child Care Provider Portal See the Accessing the Child Care Provider Portal guide and Accessing the Child Care Provider Portal video for instructions on how to request access and log in to the Child Care Provider Portal. You may also visit the Accessing the Child Care Provider Portal webpage. Intent to Participate Submission Guide Check out the Intent to Participate Submission Guide for instructions on how to submit your Intent to Participate. Frequently Asked Questions Please read through the Frequently Asked Questions for more information. Contact Information Still have questions? Please submit a Get Kids Ready Inquiry form.
