May 28 Child Care Provider Updates Wisconsin Shares Program Integrity Reminder As a reminder, Wisconsin Shares statute s. 49.155(4)(b)(1), Choice of Provider, states that no eligible individual may benefit personally from any marketing or promotional offerings made by a child care provider to attract clients or increase business. This means child care providers cannot give incentives, such as enrollment bonuses, to parents to encourage them to enroll their children with a Wisconsin Shares authorization at the provider’s facility. Note: This does not apply to private pay families. Western Regional Office New Address The Western Regional Office (WRO) has moved to its new permanent location. The new address is 221 W Madison St Ste 204, Eau Claire, WI 54703. Providers in the Western Region should now send all licensing materials to this new address. Please be sure to review your licensing contacts and update accordingly. If you have any questions, please contact your assigned licensing specialist. YoungStar Connect Training Selector YoungStar Connect is excited to introduce the Training Selector! This brand new online questionnaire will help you get started on your training journey by recommending which YoungStar Connect trainings best match your interests! The YoungStar Connect Training Selector is available in English and Spanish. Free On-Demand Child Care Courses (English & Spanish) + Coaching Support Thriving Wisconsin, in partnership with the Wisconsin Child Care Resource & Referral (CCR&R) Network, is pleased to offer free, on-demand training courses in both English and Spanish. These courses are made possible through funding from the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families. Available now: Short on-demand courses with coaching support Licensing 101 Child Guidance Wisconsin Shares Together, these courses provide a strong foundation for operating a safe, high-quality, and state-compliant child care program. Providers who participate can also receive free coaching support to help apply what they learn and strengthen their programs. Access the courses on the CCR&R Network Learning Hub. Enroll today and start learning at your own pace! Reminder: May Child Care Bridge Payments Update Period Closes Soon – Apply Today! Time is running out to complete required updates on your May Child Care Bridge Payments application. The deadline is Sunday, May 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 Update Week Guide – step-by-step instructions for updating and re-submitting your application Uploading Documents to the Child Care Provider Portal Guide Support Center Please send your questions to the Child Care Payments mailbox: DCFDECECOVID19CCPayments@wisconsin.gov and include your name, phone number, provider number, and details of your question in your email. A Support Center specialist will reply as soon as possible. Support Center hours are 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. M-F. Reminder: Encourage Your Families to Request their Summer Authorizations! Do you currently serve families using Wisconsin Shares subsidy? With summer fast approaching, this is a great time to encourage your families to use the MyWIChildCare Parent Portal to request their summer 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 their payments Sign up to receive a text message alert on their cell phone when they have a new message in the Parent Portal Track all authorization requests entered in the Parent Portal using the Track My Requests button Please consider posting the summer child care reminder flyer (Milwaukee County only) where parents will see it or share it in your parent emails or monthly newsletter! Reminder: Child Care Info Review Closing Soon! Share Your Voice and Help Shape Wisconsin’s Child Care System There’s still time to update your Rates & Enrollment in the “Child Care Info Review” before it closes on May 31. Your data will help show how changes in child care funding, policies, and programs are impacting providers across Wisconsin and help inform decisions about future support. Make sure your program’s experience and needs are represented. As a thank you, providers who update their Rates & Enrollment by May 31 will receive a $15 electronic Walmart gift card (up to 3,500 providers) and be entered to win a $250 Lakeshore gift card. As of Monday, May 18, 2,390 providers (51%) have completed the form. Help us reach our goal of a 75% response rate! Check your inbox for an email from Cassandra Gamble at Thriving Wisconsin with your unique link. For questions, contact Cassandra Gamble at cassandra@thrivingwi.org or (608) 443-2120. 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. I Belong Here! All Children Matter: Supporting Differing Abilities Inclusion is vital to the Early Childhood Community. Inclusion allows all children with various abilities to come together to learn, socialize, and grow in an environment that promotes play and allows all children to develop life skills. Join us in this 15-hour course on Differing Abilities and Inclusive Practices to learn what inclusion is and how to recognize, understand, and support all children in your care. Virtual session | June 15, 17, 22, 24, 29, 2026 | 6-9 p.m. Register for “I Belong Here! All Children Matter: Supporting Differing Abilities” on the Wisconsin Registry (Event ID #1012758) | Cost: $125.00 Questions? Contact Evy Romoeuf at 414-562-2650. Virtual: Let's Talk About Time-outs Please join us for a three-session virtual group coaching learning experience. Using the Zoom platform, we'll be diving into the revised regulations around Time Outs and discussing 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. This experience will blend training and group coaching to support you in implementing practices that might be new to you. Live, virtual session | Monday, June 8, 2026 | 1-3 p.m. Register through the Wisconsin Registry | Registration closes June 5, 2026 Questions? Contact Anna Barthen (abarthen@youngstarconnect.com).
