AB 763

This bill provides a grace period before a child care provider's YoungStar rating

is reduced due to a staff vacancy and increases funding for child care subsidies.

The Wisconsin Works (W-2) program under current law, which is administered

by the Department of Children and Families (DCF), provides work experience and

benefits for low-income custodial parents who are at least 18 years old. Also, an

individual who is the parent of a child under the age of 13 or, if the child is disabled,

under the age of 19, who needs child care services to participate in various

educational or work activities, and who satisfies other eligibility criteria may receive

a child care subsidy for child care services under the W-2 program. This child care

subsidy program is known as Wisconsin Shares. This bill increases funding for

Wisconsin Shares.

Under current law, DCF establishes maximum payment rates, within specified

parameters, for child care providers that provide child care services under Wisconsin

Shares. DCF may increase or reduce an individual child care provider's maximum

rate on the basis of the child care provider's quality rating under the quality rating

plan known as YoungStar. This bill requires DCF to give a child care provider who

loses a staff member a grace period of at least 45 days to fill the vacancy during which

time the provider's quality rating under YoungStar may not be reduced.