YoungStar Quality Adjustment Information

What is changing with YoungStar quality adjustments?

Beginning November 8, 2021, through the Child Care Counts Payment Program, all regulated programs will be eligible to apply for monthly payments to support quality. YoungStar participating programs will be eligible for an additional monthly per-staff funding to further support quality, affordability, accessibility, and equity in the workforce.

All programs that received monthly YoungStar quality adjustments received their final monthly YoungStar adjustment on December 1, 2021. Providers who applied and were approved for funding received their first monthly Child Care Counts payment at the end of December 2021.

Why is the YoungStar quality adjustment process changing?

Since the YoungStar program began, it has included financial incentives for participants to improve and maintain quality. Yet, even with the YoungStar quality adjustment included as a support for providers with 4 or 5 Star ratings, nearly all Wisconsin programs are struggling to remain open and pay their staff more than minimum wage.

That’s why, effective November 8, 2021, DCF increased its investment in promoting quality care into one payment program that reaches all regulated providers through the Child Care Counts payment program.

How does the change in the YoungStar quality adjustment process impact providers?

Beginning November 8, 2021, through the Child Care Counts payment program, all regulated providers will be eligible to apply for monthly payments to support their program.

Providers who apply for Program A: Increasing Access to High-Quality Care can receive funding for children attending their program. Providers will receive additional funds if they are serving families who utilize the Wisconsin Shares child care subsidy program.

Providers who apply for Program B: Funding Workforce Recruitment and Retention can receive funding for each eligible staff working in their program.

YoungStar participating providers can receive additional monthly Per-Staff Quality Incentive funds through Payment B: Funding Workforce Recruitment and Retention.

These combined payments will help providers to substantially support access to high-quality, affordable child care, and to recruit and retain a highly-trained and qualified Early Care and Education workforce.

Child Care Counts payments will occur monthly; the first payments were received in December 2021.

Will providers that are rated 4 or 5 Star receive the same amount of funding through Child Care Counts as they were receiving through their YoungStar quality adjustment?

All providers that are rated 4 or 5 Star that apply and are approved for Child Care Counts payments should expect a monthly payment that is, at minimum, their previous monthly quality adjustment funding amount, so long as their Star Rating is maintained. In fact, 4 or 5 Star rated programs are very likely to receive more funding through Child Care Counts.

If a provider does not apply for Child Care Counts, will they still get their YoungStar quality adjustment?

No, programs must apply and meet eligibility requirements for Child Care Counts in order to receive monthly Child Care Counts payments.

Do I have to use the Child Care Counts funds for specific allowable expenses?

Providers can use both Program A and Program B funds to support the cost of providing high-quality care. Many business-related expenses are allowable uses of this funding.

Program A: Increasing Access to High-Quality Care payments can be used to support the cost of creating and maintaining high-quality programming. These funds have various allowable uses that support a program’s unique needs such as, covering operating expenses (e.g., mortgage, payroll, taxes, insurance)purchasing materials and supplies to enhance the program environment, and providing mental health supports for your children and staff.

Program B: Funding Workforce Recruitment and Retention payments can be used to increase compensation for existing employees, recruit new employees and provide professional development opportunities. Providers are required to pay each employee included in the application the Monthly Base Per-Staff Amount, and can use the Monthly Quality Incentive Per-Staff Amount to further compensate employees based on merit, tenure, or other employment factors that make sense for their program. These funds can also be used to provide professional development opportunities to help staff achieve their professional development goals.

I’m not participating in YoungStar. I want to receive the Quality Incentive Per-Staff amount. What do I have to do?

All eligible providers will receive the Monthly Base Per-Staff Amount. If you would like your program to also receive the Monthly Quality Incentive Amount by participating in YoungStar, simply fill out a YoungStar contract and submit it to your local YoungStar office. Participation is free! Contracts are valid for two (2) years and are renewable.

Please note that by signing and submitting a YoungStar contract, you are agreeing to provide care for children participating in the Wisconsin Shares child care subsidy program.

To get started, choose the YoungStar contract that best fits your language needs:

English -- Spanish

Can I receive the additional Payment A funds for serving families who utilize Wisconsin Shares without participating in YoungStar?

No. To receive Wisconsin Shares child care subsidy payments from families, and the additional Child Care Counts Payment A funds, providers must participate in YoungStar.