South Central Wisconsin, Inc.
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Dear Parent:
Quality child care is what matters most when it comes to your child, or children!! Finding quality child care (early care and education) is a priority for parents. We know that parents who are confident that their children are well cared for will be better able to maintain a balance between work, school and family obligations.
Because the term “quality child care” may have a different meaning to different people and because a variety of early care options are available, we thank you for contacting us, for assistance in finding the care that meets your individual family needs. If you cannot find what you are looking for on this website, or would like any additional information, please contact us at any time!
Our agency provides referrals to legal, State Licensed and County Certified child care programs. Depending on the age of your child(ren), the hours you need care and geographic area you are looking for care, we will provide profiles of regulated child care providers including both group centers and family child care homes. The Provider Profile that you will receive includes information about a child care provider’s hours of operation, capacity, environment, program and meals provided.
It is important to note that the provider profiles we send are referrals, we do not rate or recommend any child care programs. Nor are the referrals we provide based on vacancies that the provider may or may not have.
No one can make your childcare decision for you. Only you know enough about your child, your lifestyle, and your needs to do that. Finding the child care arrangement that satisfies you will make your efforts worthwhile.
We know the piece of mind that quality care can bring to parents. We hope we can help you make child care decisions that best meet your family’s needs.
Sincerely,
Megan Riviere
Executive Director
Some considerations when looking for child care:
Responsibility for selecting a child care provider rests with each parent. We urge parents to call for an appointment, carefully interview, evaluate, monitor and check references before leaving a child in someone’s care.
There are numerous types of child care available, and you must decide which setting will be most beneficial for the healthy development of your child(ren).
The cost and quality of child care are also important factors in choosing an appropriate child care program. Child care is one of the largest costs for families, so you should make sure you are receiving value for your money.
Location is another factor that is a consideration in choosing a child care program. We can conduct a search for you that is close to home, school, work, a relative – again, you need to determine what location will be best suited for your family’s needs.
Verifying if the child care program you are looking into has any complaints or violations is also very important.
Finally inclusive care may also be a consideration for you, as you search for an appropriate child care setting.
Check References and Backgrounds:
Part of quality of care, means that parents need to participate in the decisions being made.
1) Begin by checking references provided by a child care provider.
2) Conduct background checks. The following are two background check websites. They are NOT complete background checks, but a starting point to investigate a potential caregiver.
http://wcca.wicourts.gov/index.xsl
http://offender.doc.state.wi.us./public/
3) Check the complaint/violations of a potential provider.
When you have narrowed your prospective list of potential child care providers, check to see if that child care provider has had any complaints or concerns against them. You can contact the appropriate regulatory agency, which is the same office/contact information as if you were to file a complaint. When checking for complaints or violations, be prepared to supply the child care provider’s name as well as business name. If you are unsure of the regulation of the provider, please contact our Child Care Resource and Referral office and we can assist you find that information.
Costs Related to Child Care:
How much will I pay for child care?
For most families, the cost of child care is a significant budget expenditure, but this does not mean that the child care program is not worth its cost. The cost of child care depends on many things: geography, local cost of living, demand for care, type of care sought, schedule of care needed, and many other factors. There are no rules about the amount a child care provider/program may charge and child care providers may charge an hourly, daily, or weekly rate depending on your schedule and their fee structure.
Prices vary among child care providers. When comparing rates, be sure you fully understand what the basic fee includes and what “extras” may come up for additional services such as meals, field trips, and transportation. Child care providers may have established policies and fees concerning registration, holding a vacant spot, late pick-up, and returned checks. Additionally, providers may have fees or time set aside for sick days, vacation and holiday time.
It is also important to understand where your child care dollars are spent. Expenses such as personnel, facility, food, supplies, water/heat, toys/equipment, and art supplies are all part of your child care costs. Often times, providers put in many hours after children have left for cleaning toys and equipment, shopping for items, and preparing for daily activities. This is all included in the costs of your child care.
A quality child care program is a necessity for your child. Remember, quality child care is not expensive, it’s priceless!
Other Financial Considerations:
There are options when looking at child care costs.
1. Wisconsin Shares / W2:
• You may be eligible to receive financial assistance to pay for child care if your children are under 13 (or 19 with special needs) and you meet financial qualifications. Visit the Wisconsin Shares website to see if you are eligible.
2. Sliding Fee:
• Some providers may use this structure by charging higher-income parents more than lower-income parents.
3. Family/Multi-Child Discount:
• Some child care programs may offer a reduced fee when two or more children are enrolled in the same program.
4. Employer Benefits:
• Talk with your Human Resource Manager to see if they offer any type of child care benefits.
• Reimbursement/Voucher System: Company reimburses an employee for a portion of your child care costs.
• On/Near-site child care: Child care program on-site or near the company. Employees may either receive a first priority to enroll their children or receive a discount.
• Reimbursement/Voucher system: Company reimburses an employee for a portion of your child care costs.
• Dependent Care Assistance Plan (DCAP): The employer agrees to reduce the employee’s income by a certain amount, which is placed in a fund for the employees to use to pay for child care. The employee is not taxed on the amount set aside.
• Purchase of Space/Discount Program: The employer arranges to hold a specified number of spaces in a designated child care program. Those slots are then available to employees on a first come first serve basis. Additionally, the company can choose to offer a discount if the employee uses this designated child care program.
5. Tax Credits: It is always a good idea to read through the rules and restrictions in the IRS’s publications or to check with your accountant regarding tax credits available. You must be able to document your income and all claimed child care expenses. You will also need the Social Security number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) for your provider.
• Earned Income Credit (EIC): The EIC is a benefit for working people who earn low or moderate incomes. Workers who qualify can get back some or all of the income taxes that were taken out of their pay. Even workers whose earnings were too small to have paid taxes can get the EIC.
• Child and Dependant Care Credit: This credit helps families pay for child care so that they may work or look for work. For families that do not owe taxes at the end of the year, this credit can give them back some or all of the federal taxes that were taken out of their paychecks. For families that end up owing taxes, the credit can lower the amount they must pay to the IRS.
• Child Tax Credit: A new credit in 1998 means families are eligible for a credit of up to 400.00 per child under age 17. The child must be a dependent and your son, daughter, or direct descendant, step or foster child.
• For more information about tax credit eligibility, contact the IRS and the WI Department of Revenue
Inclusive Care - Child Care For Children With Special Needs
Title III of the Americans With Disabilities act (ADA) states that all group centers and family child care providers are public accommodations and must not discriminate against any child or adult on the basis of disability. Children and parents with physical, emotional learning or medical disabilities must be provided equal opportunities as anyone else to participate in the program’s services.
* Centers cannot exclude children with disabilities from their programs unless their presence would pose a direct threat to the health of safety of others or require fundamental alternations of the program.
* Centers have to make reasonable modifications to their policies and practices to integrate children, parents and guardians with disabilities into their programs unless doing so is not readily achievable or would constitute a fundamental alteration.
* A child care facility can not charge more to families of a child with a disability.
* A child care facility can not refuse to accept a child with a disability because of concerns about liability insurance rates going up.
* A child care facility must take reasonable steps to integrate a child with a disability into every activity provided to other children,
* Children with HIV/AIDS can generally be safely integrated into all activities and may not be excluded from a child care program. Universal precautions such as wearing latex gloves, should be used whenever caregivers come into contact with any child’s blood or bodily fluids.
* When seeking care for a child who has a disability: Remember that The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) applies to most children and adults with disabilities or special needs. This law protects you against discrimination based on a disability.
* When seeking care for a child with a disability, begin by asking all the questions that you would otherwise ask. When satisfied that the facility would be a good place for your child THEN let the provider know about your child’s particular disability and care needs.
* Let the child care provider(s) know about your child’s special needs before the first day of care. Your child will benefit most when you share important care information with the provider in advance.
* Remember that most child care providers have very limited experience working with children who have disabilities. You can let your child care providers know about community agencies who can help them with training and/or questions and support.
* Set the tone for good open communication, as it will be very important with the ongoing care of your child. Be willing to help the child care provider learn about caring for your child, as you yourself had to do. Some parents find that writing down specific instructions can be helpful. It can also be a good idea to have a meeting with the child, parents, child care teacher or aide, etc. in advance to do some training and/or answer questions.
* Keep a positive attitude and realize that most providers will welcome the input of a specialist who can educate them about your child’s special needs. Likewise, the child care provider will appreciate your help in becoming comfortable and confident as s/he learns to work with and appreciate a child who has a disability.
Are you ready to conduct a child care search?
If you are moving to a part of Wisconsin, other than Green, Rock or Walworth County, the Wisconsin Child Care Resource and Referral Network office can assist you in finding the appropriate CCR&R office.
To search for regulated child care, you have 3 options:
1) You can click on Referrals (PDF) (Parents) for a free form. The information you receive here is limited. It is NOT based on the hours you need care and some regulated providers have chosen NOT to participate in online referrals.
2) You can complete the PDF referral request, and we will conduct a search and provide a referral for you. Please be sure to include your email address!
You can call our office at (608) 741-3426 to speak with a referral specialist, who will conduct your search for you.
3) You can call our office at (608) 741-3426 to speak with a referral specialist, who will conduct your search for you.