Licensing/Accreditation Issues

The government licensing agency for child care in Wisconsin:
Department of Health and Social Services
Southern Regional Office
(608) 243-2400

Licensing/Accreditation Guidelines
For Family Child Care:

Wisconsin licenses family child care homes with four or more children.
Definition of small family child care: Between 1 and 8 children including the provider's own children
Definition of large family child care: Caregiver with assistant caring for between 9 and 12 children including the children living in the home.

Child/Provider Ratios

Madison Accredited Providers if State Licensed may care for the following number of children:

Under Two Years

Between Two and Six Years

[ Adding school age children to the group will affect these figures]

Comparison of Certification/Licensing/Madison Accreditation

Family Child Care Regulation Comparison	Dane County Certification Voluntary Regulation, 1-3 children	State Licensing Mandatory Regulation, 4-8 children	City Accreditation Voluntary Regulation, 1-8 children
Eligibility/Screening	Initial home visit	WCCIP visits. Licensor visits for initial verification.	Consultant completes 2-3 home visits for initial assessment. Requires County Certification or State License.
Training	Initial 20 hours. Annual 5 hours. None- Provisional Certification.	Initial 40 hours + 10 Infant/Toddler Annual-15 hours	Initial 20-40 hours + 10 hours Infant/Toddler Annual 20 hours
Monitoring	Annual visit and with complaint.	Annual visit, record check.	Minimum quarterly visits, 4-8 annually, phone consultants; annual-accreditation (Observation/feedback, self-evaluation).
Public Funding	Eligible to receive minimum level of WI Child Care Subsidy.	Eligible to receive basic level of WI Child Care Subsidy.	Eligible to receive maximum level of WI Child Care Subsidy.
Benefits	Eligible for participation in the USDA Child & Adult Care Food Program. Resource staff available for consultation & technical assistance. Complaint procedure .	Eligible for participation in the USDA Child & Adult Care Food Program. Complaint Procedure.	Eligible for participation in the USDA Child & Adult Care Food Program. Complaint Procedure. Toy/equipment loan, respite care, support groups, annual child care conference, parent mediation, individualized consultation & technical assistance.
Child Care Standards	Certification rules: (minimum standards) cover: Provider (qualifications, health), Home (safety, sanitation), Child (records, discipline, activities, equipment, nutrition, transportation,rest), Parent/Provider communication.	State Licensing Rules (basic standards) cover: Administration (records- parents/children), Child Care Provider (qualifications/health), Home (space, safety, sanitation), Child (program, discipline, activities, nutrition, transportation, rest), Parent/Provider communication, Infant/Toddler care.	State Licensing rules/Certification rules plus City Accreditation Standards cover: Business management (parent involvement, legal requirements, training, provider's family), Program (goals, daily schedule, curriculum, materials/equipment, learning experiences), Interactional Setting (relationships between children, parent and provider), Physical environment (cleanliness, comfort, attractiveness, activity areas, organization, storage). Recognized by State as higher level standards comparable to national standards (NAEYC).

Steps to Selecting a Child Care Provider Food Program Advantages of Family Child Care

Quality Family Child Care Child Care for Low-Income Families Parent and Provider Concerns