Información en español Wisconsin Shares Policy Changes Fall 2023 For Parents/Caregivers As of October 1, 2023, changes have been made to the Wisconsin Shares child care subsidy program in an effort to comply with federal regulations and to improve family-friendly approaches to the program. There are two major changes to the program: Subsidy changed from an hourly amount to a part-time or full-time amount. Families have the opportunity to request funds to pay for registration fees. Return to Wisconsin Shares Policy Changes Fall 2023 homepage. Subsidy Changes Previously, a child’s authorization was based on a specific number of average weekly hours. As of October 1, parents receive a part-time or full-time subsidy amount based on their average weekly child care need. If your child is authorized for 20 weekly hours or less, you will receive a part-time monthly subsidy amount. If your child is authorized for more than 20 weekly hours, you will receive a full-time monthly subsidy. Your Wisconsin Shares child care subsidy may have increased. You do not need to make any changes to your authorization. These changes will happen automatically. Funds will continue to be loaded to your MyWIChildCare EBT card. Make sure you know what you owe – only pay what the provider charges. The cost of care for your child should be on the Provider/Parent Written Payment Agreement you have with your provider. Authorization hours do not guarantee availability at the provider. You must work with your child care provider to determine when your child can attend and what the provider’s price is for that enrollment. Part-time Subsidy Examples Each child’s Wisconsin Shares child care subsidy is specific to their age, the family’s income, county or tribe, and other factors. The following examples are for demonstration purposes only. They do not represent benefit calculations for the entire state or create any guaranteed subsidy amounts. To learn more about subsidy and your out-of-pocket cost, visit the Calculating Your Out-of-Pocket Cost page. Example 1: 4-year-old Sam has an authorization for 10 hours per week. Sam’s family lives in Milwaukee. Sam’s provider charges the family $1,087 for a part-time slot at their licensed group facility. Under the current calculation method, Sam’s subsidy is $340 each month based on a 10 hour per week child care need. The parent’s out-of-pocket monthly cost for Sam to attend the provider is $747. Starting in October, Sam’s subsidy increases to $1,010 per month based on a part-time child care need (20 hours or less per week). The parent’s out-of-pocket cost decreases to $77. This provides the family with subsidy to pay for the part-time slot rather than only providing subsidy based on an hourly need. Sam Child Care Need Provider Price Monthly Subsidy Monthly Out-of-Pocket Cost Current Subsidy 10 weekly hours $1,087 per month ($250 per week) $340* $747 October 1 Subsidy Part-time $1,087 per month ($250 per week) $1,010* $77 *The monthly subsidy amount will be different for each family based on family income, household size, and other variables. The monthly out-of-pocket cost is based on the difference between the subsidy amount the family receives and the provider’s price. Example 2: 4-year-old Judah has an authorization for 20 hours per week. Judah’s family lives in Milwaukee. Judah’s provider charges the family $1,087 for a part-time slot at their licensed group facility. Under the current calculation method, Judah’s subsidy is $671 each month based on a 20 hour per week child care need. The parent’s out-of-pocket monthly cost for Judah to attend the provider is $416. Starting in October, Judah’s subsidy increases to $1,010 per month based on a part-time child care need (20 hours or less per week). The parent’s out-of-pocket cost decreases to $77. This provides the family with subsidy to pay for the part-time slot rather than only providing subsidy based on an hourly need. Judah Child Care Need Provider Price Monthly Subsidy Monthly Out-of-Pocket Cost Current Subsidy 20 weekly hours $1,087 per month ($250 per week) $671* $416 October 1 Subsidy Part-time $1,087 per month ($250 per week) $1,010* $77 *The monthly subsidy amount will be different for each family based on family income, household size, and other variables. The monthly out-of-pocket cost is based on the difference between the subsidy amount the family receives and the provider’s price. Full-Time Subsidy Examples Each child’s Wisconsin Shares child care subsidy is specific to their age, the family’s income, county or tribe, and other factors. The following examples are for demonstration purposes only. They do not represent benefit calculations for the entire state or create any guaranteed subsidy amounts. To learn more about subsidy and your out-of-pocket cost, visit the Calculating Your Out-of-Pocket Cost page. Example 1: 4-year-old Ruby has an authorization for 25 hours per week. Ruby’s family lives in Milwaukee. Her provider charges the family $1,435 for a full-time slot at their licensed group facility. Under the current calculation method, Ruby’s subsidy is $840 each month based on a 25 hour per week child care need. The parent’s out-of-pocket monthly cost for Ruby to attend the provider is $595. Starting in October, Ruby’s subsidy increases to $1,173 per month based on a full-time child care need (more than 20 hours per week). The parent’s out-of-pocket cost decreases to $262. This provides the family with subsidy to pay for the full-time slot rather than only providing subsidy based on an hourly need. Ruby Child Care Need Provider Price Monthly Subsidy Monthly Out-of-Pocket Cost Current Subsidy 25 weekly hours $1,435 per month ($330 per week) $840* $595 October 1 Subsidy Full-time $1,435 per month ($330 per week) $1,173* $262 Example 2: 4-year-old Adam has an authorization for 40 hours per week. Adam’s family lives in Milwaukee. His provider charges the family $1,435 for a full-time slot at their licensed group facility. Under the current calculation method, Adam’s subsidy is $1,173 each month based on a 40 hour per week child care need. The parent’s out-of-pocket monthly cost for Adam to attend the provider is $262. In October, Adam’s subsidy does not change because Adam already has a full-time authorization. Adam Child Care Need Provider Price Monthly Subsidy Monthly Out-of-Pocket Cost Current Subsidy 40 weekly hours $1,435 per month ($330 per week) $1,173* $262* October 1 Subsidy Full-time $1,435 per month ($330 per week) $1,173* $262* *The monthly subsidy amount will be different for each family based on family income, household size, and other variables. The monthly out-of-pocket cost is based on the difference between the subsidy amount the family receives and the provider’s price. Frequently Asked Questions Please read through the Fall 2023 Subsidy Change Frequently Asked Questions for more information. Registration Fee Change The department also began paying limited registration fees. Only parents who have Wisconsin Shares authorizations to the provider are eligible to request funds to pay provider registration fees. This does not apply to parents who are not receiving Wisconsin Shares. Parents with authorizations will be able request funds to pay registration fees for the provider’s price up to $125 twice in a 12-month period. Frequently Asked Questions Please read through the Registration Fee Frequently Asked Questions for more information. Resources Parent Information Session Video These videos were recorded from our virtual parent sessions on the fall 2023 Wisconsin Shares subsidy changes. Watch the videos to learn more about how these changes affect parents/caregivers. Parent Information Video Wisconsin Shares October 1 Subsidy Changes – Virtual Parent Session Los cambios en los subsidios del 1 de octubre para Wisconsin Shares - Sesión virtual para los padres Parent/Provider Flyers Download the below flyer for an overview of the Wisconsin Shares fall 2023 policy changes. Download the full color version Download the black and white version< Descargue la versión en inglés a todo color Descargue la versión en inglés en blanco y negro Parent Portal Information Learn how to access and use the Parent Portal to manage your child care subsidy! As a reminder, you can use the Parent Portal to request changes to your authorization. Need additional help? Contact your local agency.
