Benefits of Becoming a Regulated Child Care Provider

• The kids!
• Being a positive role model
• Working in a child care setting allows you to explore your creativity as you come up with activities that engage young children in learning, creating, and playing
• Pride and satisfaction from helping another family be successful
• Forming close bonds and lasting relationships with the children and families in your care
• Getting to watch the children in your care grow and develop new skills

Support for Regulated Child Care Providers

• Home visits
• Continuing Education opportunities
• Good Start Grants
• ChildCaring
• Child and Adult Care Food Program
• Wisconsin Shares Child Care Assistance
• Wisconsin Department of Children and Families

Process

Find Out More Information

For more information about starting a Certified Child Care Program, please visit Wisconsin Child Care Certification.

Attend a free Child Care Start-Up Information Session and determine if child care certification is right for you and your family. Our amazing child care certifiers along with partnering agencies (ChildCaring) are always available to help guide you through the application process and continue to support you as a child care provider.

Apply

We strongly encourage you to access all resources electronically. Once you have determined child care certification is right for you and your family, please complete and submit the Certification Application – Family/In-Home Child Care Programs by mail, email or fax to the following:

Marathon County Department of Social Services
Attention: Child Care Certifiers
1000 Lake View Drive, Suite 400
Wausau WI 54403
Fax: 715-261-7510
Email

If you have any questions on how to submit an application, please call the Marathon County Department of Social Services Child Care unit at 715-261-7618.

Thank you for considering child care certification! We could not do what we do without you!

Requirements

Child Care Certification requirements are outlined in Wisconsin Administrative Code, Chapter DCF 202.

• Applicants must be at least 18 years of age
• Applicants can be married or single
• Applicants must own their home or have landlord permission
• Applicants shall be in good physical, mental, and emotional health
• Applicants must be able to provide a safe, secure, and healthy child care for a child
• The home must meet requirements for housing safety and space
• All operators, staff, substitute(s), and volunteer(s) must successfully complete Find A Need Fill A Need training requirements:
  • CPR (Infant/Child)
  • Shaken Baby Syndrome
  • Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
  • Fundamentals of Family Child Care and Introduction to the Child Care Profession – Module A or Introduction to the Child Care Profession which includes Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and Shaken Baby Syndrome
  • Child Abuse and Neglect
  • 5 hours of continuing education training annually

Resources

The Wisconsin Department of Children and Families offers a variety of Child Care Resources and Organizations and Department-Approved Training Resources.

• Administration and Management
• Child Development
• Family Systems and Dynamics
• Guidance and Nurturing
• Health, Safety, and Nutrition
• Learning Experiences, Strategies, and Curriculum
• Professionalism

Childcaring – Offering tools for child care providers for success in their child care business

YoungStar – Gives parents the tools and information they need to raise happy, healthy kids

Wisconsin Shares Child Care Subsidy Program – Supports families by funding a portion of the cost of child care

Wisconsin Child & Adult Care Food Program – Provides child care providers with financial reimbursement for serving nutritious meals and snacks to kids in their care.