Current through August 26, 2024
(1) PROVIDER REQUIREMENTS. A child care
administrative agency may authorize payment for child care services provided by
a child care provider who meets all of the following conditions:
(a)
Regulated child care.
The child care provider is any of the following:
1. 'Licensed.' A child care center licensed
by the department under s.
48.65, Stats., and ch. DCF 250
or 251, or a day camp licensed by the department under s.
48.65, Stats., and ch. DCF
252.
2. 'Certified.' A child care
provider certified by a certification agency under s.
48.651, Stats., and ch. DCF 202.
For purposes of this paragraph, a child care administrative agency may consider
a provider to be certified beginning on the date the provider's application for
certification was received by the certification agency.
3. 'School board.' A child care program
established or contracted for by a school board under s.
120.13 (14),
Stats.
4. 'Out-of-state provider.'
A child care provider licensed or regulated in Illinois, Minnesota, Iowa, or
Michigan.
(b)
Quality rating system. The child care provider is any of the
following:
1. A child care provider that is
participating in the department's quality rating system under ss.
48.659 and
49.155 (6) (e),
Stats., who has received a 2-star rating or above or whose quality rating is
pending.
2. An in-home provider or
an out-of-state provider that has a signed child care subsidy participation
contract in effect.
Note: For information on the department's
quality rating system or a Wisconsin Shares participation contract, contact the
local Youngstar office. Contact information is available at
https://dcf.wisconsin.gov/youngstar/program/localoffice.
(c)
Fingerprint
background check. The provider is in compliance with the requirements
in s. 48.685 (2) (a),
Stats.
Note: Section
48.685 (2) (a),
Stats., has been repealed.
(1m) PROVIDER SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS.
(a) A licensed child care provider shall
submit the provider's full-time and part-time prices to the child care
administrative agency upon request.
(b) Each provider that charges a registration
fee shall submit the amount of the fee to the department.
(2) ELECTRONIC FUND TRANSFER. A provider
shall complete the procedures necessary to receive payments by electronic fund
transfer.
(3) PARENTAL CHOICE. A
parent may choose any child care provider that meets the conditions in sub.
(1).
(4) PRICE AND RATE. A parent
may choose a child care provider with a child care price that is higher than
the applicable maximum rate and pay the difference between the provider's child
care price and the applicable maximum rate under s.
DCF 201.06 in addition to any required
copayment.
(5) WRITTEN PAYMENT
AGREEMENT.
(a) A provider shall enter into a
written payment agreement with each parent that receives a child care subsidy
for child care by the provider.
(b)
The written payment agreement between a provider and parent shall include all
of the following:
1. The provider's monthly or
weekly child care price.
2. The
provider's days and hours of operation.
3. Any discounts or scholarships that are
available to parents, and any discounts or scholarships that the parent is
receiving.
4. The parent's payment
schedule.
5. The provider's
anticipated closure dates.
6.
Payment expectations for the child's anticipated and unanticipated absences and
the provider's closure dates.
7.
Parent procedures for termination of a child's enrollment.
8. Provider procedures for termination of a
child's enrollment.
9. Any fees
that parents are required to pay.
(c) A provider shall retain a copy of each
current written payment agreement at the location where child care is
provided.
(d) A provider shall
retain a copy of an expired written payment agreement for at least 3 years
after the child's last day of attendance. The agreement shall be kept at a
location where it can be made available to the department within 24 hours.
Note: DCF-F-5224, Provider/Parent Child
Care Payment Agreement, is a voluntary form that a provider may use to
comply with this subsection.
(6) NONDISCRIMINATION. A provider may not
charge a parent that receives a child care subsidy a higher child care price
than a private pay parent is charged for a similar amount of child care, unless
the difference is due to the children being in different age ranges under s.
DCF 201.06 (1)
(b) or a child's special needs under s.
DCF 201.06(7).
(7) CONFIDENTIALITY. A provider may not do
any of the following:
(a) Require a parent to
disclose the balance in the parent's child care subsidy account.
(b) Require a parent to provide the parents
EBT card, account number, or personal identification number to the
provider.
(c) Possess a photocopy,
photo, or other image of a parent's EBT card.
(d) Possess a parent's subsidy account number
or personal identification number.
(8) INACTIVE ASSISTANCE GROUP. A child care
provider shall notify the local child care administrative agency if the child
of a parent who receives a child care subsidy has not attended within the
previous 30 days.
