Report Child Care Fraud

If you suspect Child Care Fraud, be a part of the solution. You may remain anonymous. Please fill out the Child Care Fraud Form, or email dcfmbchildcarefraud @wisconsin.gov.

Find Your Local YoungStar Office

Questions?
Call 888-713-KIDS (5437).

find your local youngstar office

Report a Child Care Concern or Complaint

If you have a concern about something going on in a child care facility or you suspect child abuse, neglect or exploitation at a child care facility, please use the drop-down menu on the Tell Us How We Are Doing page to fill out the appropriate complaint form.

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Child care providers will receive emails on topics related to YoungStar and child care quality improvement.

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Resources for Providers

We at YoungStar feel that knowledge is power and it is with this in mind that we have collected the following resources to help support the continuous learning of providers. Whether you are just starting on your journey or have been providing care for years, the resources and tools on this page can help you learn about and improve the quality of your program.

Click below to view the resources in each category.

Early Care and Education Partners

The following organizations help to train, support, and advocate for the early care and education workforce.

Supporting Families Together Association (SFTA)

SFTA is a member organization for Wisconsin’s Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) agencies and Family Resource Centers. SFTA directs various YoungStar services, employs Environment Rating Scale (ERS) observers and provides information on professional development opportunities.

Visit the Supporting Families Together Association webpage to learn more.

Wisconsin Registry

Wisconsin Registry is our state's recognition system for the early care and education profession. They provide a listing of training opportunities throughout the state and assign career levels to the early education workforce. YoungStar accesses information from The Registry to verify the education and training of lead program staff.

Visit the Wisconsin Registry website to learn more about Program Profiles, Career Levels and Professional Development.

Wisconsin Early Childhood Association (WECA)

WECA is a statewide agency offering professional development, advocacy, and support to early childhood providers. WECA administers the T.E.A.C.H. and REWARD programs that help to make scholarships and salary stipends available to the early care and education workforce. WECA also has information on Credit for Prior Learning.

Visit the Wisconsin Early Childhood Association website to learn more.

Wisconsin Early Childhood Collaborating Partners

WECCP is a collaborative project funded by the Department of Public Instruction, the Department of Children and Families and the Department of Health Services. WECCP serves as the collaborative source of information on issues of cross-sector interest, state initiatives, and research-based practices. You will find information on WI Model Early Learning Standards, WI Pyramid Model, Health, Nutrition and Safety, Diverse Populations, Family Engagement and many more.

Visit the Collaborating Partners website to learn more.

Wisconsin Alliance for Infant Mental Health (WI-AIMH)

WI-AIHM is a statewide non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of social-emotional learning and relationship-based practices through raising public awareness, providing resources for professional development, and advocating for policies that are in the best interest of infants, young children, and their families.

Visit the Wisconsin Alliance for Infant Mental Health website to learn more about social emotional learning and the Wisconsin Pyramid Model.

Requirements for Onsite Rating

To be eligible for an onsite rating, programs must complete a Self-Assessment and develop a Quality Improvement Plan.

Element A: Lead Staff Education

Research indicates that providers with higher levels of education are linked to improved outcomes for children. YoungStar verifies Lead Teacher and Director educational qualifications through The Registry

Element B: Learning Environment and Curriculum

Providing a safe, nurturing, and responsive environment is the foundation for supporting the learning and development of young children.

Developmentally Appropriate Environments (DAE)

Supporting Varied Levels of Difficulty

Children learn new skills in their own way and at their own pace, which is why it's so important that you have an understanding of how best to support a variety of needs in a variety of ways. The following presentation provides information on the different ways a child may learn, as well as gives tips on how to provide each child with supportive learning opportunities that are challenging, yet achievable.

Making Adaptations for Children with Special Needs

One of the most important things you can do as a caregiver is to understand and learn how to adapt an activity or learning opportunity so that every child in your care can be successful. Under most circumstances, the adaptations that you make should be simple and cost little to nothing to implement. The following resources will help you better understand what it means to make an adaptation and provides tips on the various adaptations you can make.

Fostering Positive Interactions with Children

Building a positive relationship with the children in your care is a foundational component of good teaching. A positive adult-child relationship built on trust, understanding and caring will foster a child's cooperation and motivation and increase their positive outcomes while in your program. The following resources provide information and tips for building and supporting strong relationships.

Learning Center Ideas and Templates for Documenting Learning Standards

Observation Checklists

The following checklists are meant to help you assess the classroom environments within your program to determine if they meet the DAE criteria for B.1.3.

Environment Kit Idea Guides 

The following idea guides are meant to help programs see some of the ways that the different toys or materials found within the various environment kits can be used. A list of the toys and materials that were a part of each environment kit is also included if you are interested in purchasing similar items for your program.

Element C: Business and Professional Practices

Early education programs that use effective business and professional practices are more likely to provide a high-quality learning environment, stay in business, and interact more sensitively with children and families.

Element D: Health and Well-Being

Children need access to daily physical activity and nutritious meals and snacks to help them develop lifelong healthy habits. Early education settings are a key place to start building these habits.

Nutrition in ECE

Farm to ECE 
Breastfeeding 
Healthy Bites

What Works in ECE - Healthy Habits

USDA Child and Adult Care Food Program Handbook

Physical Activity in ECE

Other Resources

Additional High Quality Practices

The following High-Quality Practices have been identified by research to be most closely linked to improved child outcomes.

Curriculum Aligned with WMELS/SACF

Child Portfolios

  • Resources coming soon

Intentional Planning to Improve Child Outcomes

Developmental Screening and Assessment

Tracking Child Outcomes

Social Emotional and Inclusion Training 

Strengthening Families Training

Other Resources - School-Age