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Wisconsin
Department of Public Instruction (DPI)
The Department of Public Instruction (DPI) is the state administrative
agency responsible for Wisconsin schools. This Department administers
related federal and state laws and provides guidance and support
for the state’s 426 school districts. The DPI oversees grant
programs and state funds for the following programs related to early
childhood education: four- and five-year-old kindergarten; state
membership aide; state class size reduction funds (SAGE); Federal
Title 1 and Even Start Family Literacy Programs; USDA Food Programs;
special education: and state- funded Head Start programs. A variety
of consultant positions exist within DPI in conjunction with these
programs.
DPI
Early Childhood Consultant: DPI early childhood consultants
perform a variety of duties that may include grant administration,
technical assistance to education administrators or teachers, school/site
visits, program monitoring, community development, parent information
and referral, as well as inter- and cross-department collaboration.
DPI
Therapy Consultant: An occupational therapist, physical
therapist, and speech-language pathologist are members of the DPI
special education team. They assist in related policy development
and provide guidance/consultation to schools and therapists throughout
the state. They also participate with other special education consultants
in special education -related monitoring, policy development, and
district oversight.
United
States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Child and Adult Care Food
Program: The Child and Adult Care Food Program is administered
by DPI. Staff positions include a program director and several child
care food consultants who administer the grant and conduct audits
of participating programs. There are also Child and Adult Care Food
Program staff that work for sponsoring organizations, such as child
care resource and referral agencies, child care centers, or professional
associations. They may include management positions, specialist/area
coordinators, and office staff. Management staff supervises the
program and ensures implementation of government regulations. Specialist
or area coordinators monitor family child care providers regarding
nutritional requirements and monthly claims for reimbursement. They
conduct three home visits per year at family child care sites and
conduct training on nutrition, meal preparation, and other related
topics during these visits. Other staff members have jobs that involve
processing the monthly claims submitted by providers for reimbursement.
Department of Workforce Development (DWD)
The Child Care Section within the Department of Workforce Development
administers a wide variety of programs and services to provide access
to affordable, high quality child care and early education experiences;
to enhance child development; and to support families in work and
parenting roles. This Section provides management, development,
and coordination of public child care assistance to families. It
also facilitates quality initiatives and planned supply of child
care and early education services.
DWD
Child Care Section Chief: The Section Chief has overall
responsibility for all aspects of the child care subsidy program
and the quality improvement activities in Wisconsin. The Section
Chief coordinates and collaborates with other state, regional, and
community agencies and programs. The Department of Workforce Development
serves as a resource to the Wisconsin Legislature on the needs and
resources of the early childhood care and education system in Wisconsin.
DWD
Child Care Quality Specialist, Policy and Planning Analyst:
Staff within the Child Care Section oversee and coordinate the child
care subsidy program and the child care quality initiatives that
have statewide impact on the safety, accessibility, and quality
of child care. The overall goal is to ensure that consistent, high-quality;
coordinated resources are available to children, families and child
care providers throughout Wisconsin.
Department of Health and Family Services
State agency responsible for programs and initiatives that affect
health and human services. This Department administers a number
of federal and state programs through county systems and other contracted
agencies. The following program areas within DHFS are most directly
associated with early childhood: Child Care Licensing and Regulation,
The Birth to 3 Program, Child Care Subsidy, and Public Health.
DHFS
Bureau of Regulation and Licensing: The Bureau of Regulation
and Licensing performs a consumer protection and quality assurance
role to prevent harm to children in regulated care or placement,
and to assure the quality and safety of care in licensed children’s
programs and private child welfare agencies. It does this by monitoring
compliance with licensing standards. Wisconsin places a high priority
on the safety and well being of children in care and is nationally
recognized for its quality child care and licensing program. Its
child care regulations are among the strongest in the country. The
Bureau’s regulation and licensing oversight extends to children
in regulated community care arrangements, including child day care,
residential care and treatment facilities, private child welfare
agencies, licensed foster care, and adoptive placements.
Persons served by this program may include the following: children
in licensed facilities; parents and families of children in care;
local agencies, judges and others placing children in out-of-home
care; licensees; and providers.
DHFS oversees approximately 5,687 licensed child day care facilities,
including 3,201 family day care centers, 2,421 group day care centers
and 65 day camps. The Bureau also licenses residential child welfare
facilities and programs.
The Bureau of Regulation and Licensing approves courses that meet
specified curriculum content for entry- level training. These department-approved
courses are not available for credit and may be offered by technical
colleges, licensed child care facilities, Child Care Resource and
Referral agencies, and independent training agencies.
Child
Care Licensing Specialist - Licensing specialists evaluate,
license, and monitor child care centers, family child care homes,
and day camps to determine whether they meet administrative rules
and other standards for licensure or re-licensure. The licensing
specialist conducts on-site visits periodically to determine if
a facility is in compliance with the state licensing regulations.
During on-site visits, the licensing specialist may provide technical
assistance. It is necessary for the licensing specialist to have
knowledge of licensing statutes and rules, principles of child growth
and development, and good communication skills.
Child
Care Program Specialist - There is one child care program
specialist within DHFS. This position is responsible for the development,
coordination, and implementation of policies, rules and procedures
for child care regulation on a statewide basis. The person occupying
this position develops and conducts training sessions and provides
consultation on child care regulations, licensing, and related issues.
The child care specialist must have significant knowledge and experience
in developing, implementing, and evaluating programs and policies
related to child care settings.
Child Care Supervisor - This position
is responsible for the development, coordination and implementation
of policies, rules, and procedures for child care regulation on
a statewide basis. The child care supervisor recommends revisions
to applicable state statutes; develops administrative rules for
family day care centers, group day care centers, and day camps;
and works closely with other bureaus and other agencies/organizations.
The person occupying this position develops and conducts training
and provides consultation on child care regulation, licensing, and
related issues.
Qualifications
for this position include:
- Knowledge
and experience in the development, implementation, and evaluation
of programs and policies related to child care settings
- Knowledge
of the principles and practices involved in quality child
care licensing and regulatory administration
- An understanding
of techniques related to policy development and
implementation
- Enforcement
of regulatory policies, rules, and standards
- Effective
oral and written presentation skills
- The ability
to represent the Department clearly and effectively with other
agencies, licensed providers, advocacy groups, and organizations
County/Tribal
and Local Child Care Subsidy Program Staff Child Care Coordinator:
The child care coordinator is the contact for counties, tribes,
and W-2 agencies which administer the Wisconsin Shares Child Care
Subsidy Program. Among the child care coordinator’s responsibilities
are the following:
- Serving as
the contact point for families who have questions or concerns
regarding their eligibility and authorization for child care services
- Helping families
locate a regulated child care provider and providing information
on what to look for in a regulated child care setting
- Serving as
the first point of contact for child care providers who have questions
regarding the amount of payment received for a specific child
- Answering
questions regarding the length of an authorization period, or
the calculation of the payment rate
- Functioning
as a liaison between the families or the child care provider and
the eligibility worker for the Wisconsin Works (W-2) agency, or
county child care payment worker
The child care
coordinator role requires the following:
- Having a
broad understanding of the child care subsidy program including
state rules and regulations• Being able to access the automated
Child Care Payment System, including all child care eligibility,
authorization and payment information
- Being aware
of the child care market within the community, communicating frequently
with the child care programs in the area, and
Being able to communicate effectively with agency workers, families
and child care program staff
- Job descriptions
for child care coordinators may vary by local administrative agency,
as do salaries and benefits.
DHFS
Birth to 3 Office: The Department of Health and Family
Services, Division of Disability and Elder Services, employs personnel
to administer the statewide Birth to 3 Program. Staff in the Birth
to 3 Program office administer the federal funds that come into
the state, develop program policies, provide program coordination,
provide training and technical assistance and carry out ongoing
review of local Birth to 3 programs. There are 3.5 FTE professional
positions that are classified employees in this office
Division
of Public Health : The mission of the Department of Health
and Family Services' Division of Public Health is to promote the
health and well-being of Wisconsin citizens and visitors through
programs which encourage positive and healthful lifestyles, and
to identify preventive and remedial actions to eliminate, correct,
or alleviate diseases and health hazards. Public Health seeks to
prevent epidemics and the spread of disease, protect against environmental
hazards, prevent injuries, promote and encourage healthy behaviors,
respond to disasters, assist communities in recovery, and assure
the quality and accessibility of health services. The core functions
of public health required by law are assessment, policy development
and assurance.
- Assessment
involves using data, people, and common sense to look across the
community to identify current and emerging problems and determine
the underlying causes.
- Policy development
involves the development of comprehensive goals, plans and services
that protect and promote the health of the public.
- Assurance
means making certain that the services necessary to achieve community
health goals are actually provided by government and its partners.
Positions
available in public health for persons interested in early childhood
include the following:
- State and
regional nurse consultants, who provide consultation and technical
assistance in the areas of maternal and perinatal health, infant
and young child health, adolescent health, and children with special
health care needs.
- State and
regional level health educators, who provide technical assistance
and program expertise to design health promotion initiatives for
young children and families.
- Local public
health nurses, who provide clinical services to young children
and families, as well as participating in assessment, policy development,
assurance and initiatives that promote the health and well-being
of the community (including collaboration with the schools, child
care community and community health centers).
Children's
Trust Fund
The Children’s Trust Fund was created in 1983 by the Wisconsin
State Legislature and is administered by the sixteen-member Child
Abuse and Neglect Prevention Board. The Children’s Trust Fund
provides funding, training, technical assistance, and close monitoring
of programs and support services. A major goal of the Children’s
Trust Fund is to help all Wisconsin communities establish a family
resource center. In addition, the Children’s Trust Fund provides
informational materials that promote positive parenting skills and
expand public awareness of the need for prevention of child abuse
and neglect.
Staff positions
in the Children’s Trust Fund include the following:
- Executive
Director
- Program Director
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