Contact: Joe Scialfa or Gina Paige – 608-266-9000
(MADISON) – Thirty-four Wisconsin counties were recently recognized by the Department of Children and Families for meeting all performance standards in the administration of the Wisconsin Shares child care subsidy program which supports low-income working families by subsidizing a portion of the cost of quality child care while the parents or caregivers are working or participating in another approved activity.
The counties earned the certificate of excellence by providing timely service to parents in need of child care services and meeting the standards for a high level of accuracy in eligibility and authorizations determination.
“In 2016, the Wisconsin Shares child care subsidy program helped more than 45,000 low income families pay for the safe and regulated child care they needed in order to work or prepare for work,” said Department of Children and Families Secretary Eloise Anderson. “Counties that meet the Department of Children and Families’ high performance standards are doing the best job of helping these families get and keep child care with minimal disruption. We recognize and thank counties for this achievement, which benefits both families and employers.”
The performance standards were put in place in 2013 in consultation between the Department of Children and Families and the Wisconsin County Human Services Association. The child care performance standards exhibited by the following counties directly translates into a high level of services to families, high accuracy in program administration, and conscientious stewardship of the state and federal funds that support the child care subsidy program: Calumet, Chippewa, Crawford, Dane, Douglas, Fond du Lac, Grant, Green, Green Lake, Jefferson, Juneau, Kenosha, Kewaunee, Lafayette, Manitowoc, Marathon, Milwaukee Early Care Administration (MECA), Oconto, Oneida, Outagamie, Ozaukee, Polk, Portage, Racine, Richland, Rock, Shawano, Sheboygan, Walworth, Washburn, Waukesha, Waupaca, Waushara, and Winnebago.
Learn more about the Wisconsin Shares Child Care subsidy on the DCF website at https://dcf.wisconsin.gov/wishares.
