Links to Wisconsin Organizations

The following Wisconsin organizations are key sources of child care information and leadership. Click on an organization's name in the list below to find its description and our link to its Web Page. The National Child Care Information Center's Internet Links will connect you to many more national organizations. For more guidance on using the Internet, try the Early Childhood Education On Line Treasure Hunt, an Internet training exercise for early childhood educators.

Birth to 3

Wisconsin Department of Health Services
1 West Wilson Street, PO Box 7851
Madison WI 53707-7851
608-267-3270
Website: www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/bdds/birthto3

Birth to 3 is Wisconsin's early intervention program for infants and toddlers with developmental delays and disabilities and their families. A federal law, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), provides a framework for a comprehensive program and coordinates developmental, health and social services within a community. The Department of Health Services oversees the Birth to 3 Program in Wisconsin. The Birth to 3 Program is for children ages birth to 36 months. Eligibility is based on a diagnosed disability or significant delay in one or more areas of development. The team will evaluate the child's ability to: learn (cognitive development); move, see and hear (physical/motor development); communicate and understand other's communication (speech and language development); respond to and relate with others (social and emotional development); and eat, dress and care for daily living needs (adaptive development). A Birth to 3 service coordinator helps the family understand and participate in the evaluation process.

Black Child Development Institute (BCDI) - Milwaukee Affiliate

Yvonne McCaskill
414-445-0284
Email: ymccaskill@wi.rr.com
Website (National BCDI): www.nbcdi.org

The mission of the Black Child Development Institute is to improve and protect the quality of life of African American children and families.

Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP)

125 S Webster Street, PO Box 7841
Madison WI 53707-7841
608-267-9129
Website: www.dpi.wi.gov/fns/cacfp1.html

The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) administers the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) in Wisconsin. The CACFP promotes healthy and nutritious meals for children in day care by reimbursing participating day care operators for their meal costs. In addition to day care, the CACFP also provides funding for meals served to children and youths residing in homeless shelters, and for snacks provided to youths participating in eligible after school care programs. A fact sheet on the CACFP program is available at: http://dpi.wi.gov/fns/doc/cacfp_fs.doc.

Child Care Certification

Wisconsin Department of Children and Families, Bureau of Early Childhood Education
201 East Washington Avenue
PO Box 8916
Madison WI 53708-8916
608-267-2079 or contact local certifying agency: http://dcf.wisconsin.gov/childcare/certification/pdf/certifiers.pdf
Fax: 608-267-7252
Website: http://dcf.wisconsin.gov/childcare/certification

A child care provider who cares for 3 or fewer children under the age of 7 years who are unrelated to the provider may voluntarily become certified. Although the Department of Children and Families promulgates child care certification rules (DCF 202), counties/tribes administer the certification program locally. State law (48.651 State Statute) requires counties and tribes to certify family child care providers and school-age programs that receive public funding if the provider/program is not licensed by the Department of Children and Families or operated by a public school district. The counties/tribes may make certification available to all family child care providers, whether or not public funding is involved.

There are 72 counties and 8 tribes throughout Wisconsin that administer the certification program, monitor certified providers/programs for compliance with certification rules, and investigate complaints. Certifying agencies maintain certification records including complaint and compliance history. Information on a provider's complaint and compliance history is available by contacting the local certifying agency or on the DCF Regulated Child Care and YoungStar Public Search website.

If you are interested in starting a certified family child care or certified school-age program, call the certifying agency for your county/tribe to obtain more detailed information: http://dcf.wisconsin.gov/childcare/certification/pdf/certifiers.pdf

Child Care Information Center (CCIC)

2109 South Stoughton Road
Madison WI 53716
608-224-5388 or 1-800-362-7353
Fax: 608-224-6178
Email: ccic@dpi.wi.gov
Website: www.dpi.wi.gov/ccic

CCIC is a mail-order lending library and information clearinghouse serving anyone in Wisconsin working in the field of child care and early childhood education. CCIC offers educators statewide free written materials, help in planning individualized and group trainings, and loan of books and videos from a specialized collection in the DPI Reference and Loan Library. Staff will search out information as requested and mail it out in customized packets. CCIC has materials on numerous topics including: 1) child care, early childhood, and school-age care; 2) early childhood curriculum and assessment; 3) health and safety; 4) Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standards (books, posters, bookmarks, and training materials); 5) multi-cultural awareness; 6) inclusion of children with disabilities in child care programs; 7) brochures and other information providers need to meet regulatory requirements; and 8) materials in Spanish and Hmong.

Child Care Licensing

Wisconsin Department of Children and Families, Bureau of Early Care Regulation
201 East Washington Avenue, Room 200
PO Box 8916
Madison WI 53708-8916
608-266-9314
Fax: 608-267-7252
Website: www.dcf.wi.gov/childcare/licensed

Child care programs that provide care for 4 or more children under age 7 who are unrelated to the provider are required to be licensed. There are 5 regional and 3 district offices around the state that issue licenses, monitor programs for compliance with the licensing rules, and investigate complaints. The licensing offices maintain a file on each facility that includes copies of the center's complaint and compliance history. Information on a center's complaint and compliance history is available by phone, mail, or in-person review, or by using Wisconsin's Licensed Child Care Search on the DCF website. : Packets that provide information on how to become licensed are available for $25 from the Northern Regional Office, 2187 N Stevens Street, Suite C, Rhinelander WI 54501.

Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) Agencies

Website: www.supportingfamiliestogether.org/CCR_R.html

Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies, part of the Supporting Families Together Association, 'Make Child Care Work' by:

• Connecting parents with the child care services they need, and by recognizing the influence that information and consumer education have on parental choice;
• Developing professionals who care for children. From business start-up information to training and technical assistance, CCR&Rs encourage business owners to go above and beyond the basic standards of quality in the care and education they provide for Wisconsin's children; and
• Collecting child care data that impacts communities and infusing that data into communities to inform decision-making and planning.

Wisconsin's community-based Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies provide services for all 72 counties and 11 tribes in Wisconsin. In Wisconsin, we've set a 'high bar' for success in child care resource and referral. Each of the agencies has met accreditation standards and maintains those standards in its daily operations. High standards ensure high quality services and high levels of accountability. Child Care Resource & Referral (CCR&R) agencies "do what it takes" to make child care work for families in the State of Wisconsin. They help parents sort through child care options and assist them in selecting quality child care. CCR&R agencies help to increase the supply of child care in areas that may be lacking sufficient care, offer start up information and technical support to potential child care providers, and give technical assistance and support to existing child care programs. They help communities, employers, school districts, W-2 agencies, and others develop local solutions to complex child care problems. The CCR&Rs in Wisconsin refer equally to family child care and group centers, depending on parent need, preference and availability. They serve all families and all child care programs.

Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs Program (CYSHCN)

Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Division of Public Health
608-266-8178
Fax: 608-267-3824
Website: www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/dph_bfch/cshcn

The Wisconsin CYSHCN Program philosophy and principles are that children are best served within their families.

• Children and families are best supported within the context of their community.
• Families will have convenient access to care coordinators.
• Collaboration is the best way to provide comprehensive services.
• Family perspectives and presence must be included in all aspects of the system.

The Wisconsin CYSHCN Program directs projects and programs, provides leadership and technical assistance to support the efforts of agencies, provides education and training opportunities for staff and service providers and coordinates a statewide system of nutrition services. The CYSHCN Program provides grants to promote care for Wisconsin children and youth with special health care needs and their families.

Children's Trust Fund

110 E Main Street, Suite 810
Madison WI 53703
608-266-6871 or 1-866-640-3936
Fax: 608-266-3792
Email: ctf@ctf.state.wi.us
Website: http://wctf.state.wi.us

The mission of the Children's Trust Fund is to advocate, support, and sustain a statewide culture that encourages family and community life in which children will develop and flourish in a safe environment free from all forms of abuse and neglect. The CTF encourages the development of diverse approaches to meet local needs for parent education and support. The CTF provides family resource centers with best practice information and tools for collecting uniform data and outcome-based evaluation strategies to measure the effectiveness of prevention programs.

Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)

600 North Park Street, Room 4290
Madison WI 53706
608-263-3720
Fax: 608-262-4933
Email: ccbcinfo@education.wisc.edu
Website: www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc

The Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC) of the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is a noncirculating examination, study, and research library for adults with an interest in children's and young adult literature.

Cooperative Educational Service Agency (CESA)

Website: www.dpi.wi.gov/cesa.html

CESA agencies provide leadership and coordination of services for school districts, including curriculum development assistance; school district management development; coordination of vocational education; exceptional education, research, special student classes; human growth and development; data collection processing and dissemination; and in-service programs. CESA agencies work in partnership with school districts to provide leadership and to help facilitate change and continuous improvement in schools so that all children will achieve educational excellence. Twelve agencies across Wisconsin provide statewide service delivery.

Early Care and Education Web Mapping Project

University of Wisconsin-Extension-Wisconsin Child Care Research Partnership
432 N. Lake Street, Room 301
Madison WI 53706
608-265-3969 or 1-877-637-6188
Fax: 608-263-7969
Website: www.sohe.wisc.edu/outreach/wccrp/data.html

The Wisconsin Child Care Research Partnership developed this Website to make early care and education data available to public policy makers, grant writers, city/county planners, and the general public so they can make informed decisions. The Early Care and Education Website allows you to view and print reports on Wisconsin's regulated child care, Head Start, public four-year-old kindergarten (4K) programs, and census data. You can view these reports in two ways. First, you may view them pictorially on a dynamic map. Secondly, you may view early care and education (ECE) data numerically, using standard or custom reports. These reports allow you to summarize ECE data by the geographical region of your choosing: county, school district, or municipality.

Early Childhood Excellence Initiative

Deb Zeman, Program Assistant
432 North Lake Street, Room 301
Madison WI 53706-1498
1-877-637-6188
Fax: 608-263-7969
Email: zeman@admin.uwex.edu
Website: www.sohe.wisc.edu/outreach/ece

Wisconsin's Early Childhood Excellence Initiative was created to improve the quality of child care for the state's urban and rural children of low-income families. Eighteen early care and education centers around the state received grants to enhance the care they provide. This website shares their promising practices for creating excellence.

Great Start: Early Learning Matters

Early Learning Coalition
555 W Washington Avenue, Suite 200
Madison WI 53703
608-284-0580
Fax: 608-284-0583
Website: www.greatstartwi.org

Great Start: Early Learning Matters is a statewide campaign of the Early Learning Coalition. Its purpose is to promote public policies and public investments that make high quality early care and education a top priority in Wisconsin.

"Grow in Quality" Project

Wisconsin Department of Children and Families, Bureau of Early Childhood Education
201 E Washington Avenue, PO Box 8916
Madison WI 53708-8916
608-266-7001
Fax: 608-261-6968
Website: www.dcf.wi.gov/childcare/growinquality

The "Grow in Quality" pilot project was initiated by the Department of Workforce Development (DWD) to build a foundation for an evidence-based child care Quality Rating System. The project developed assessment tools for measuring key indicators of child care quality, began the process of designing technical assistance specific to those quality indicators, and demonstrated that child care quality improves following targeted technical assistance.

**Quality Care for Quality Kids (QCQK) Materials

Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development
201 E Washington Avenue, PO Box 7972
Madison WI 53707-7972
608-266-7001
Fax: 608-261-6968
Website: http://dwd.wisconsin.gov/kidsfirst

**The Governor's "Quality Counts for Kids" proposal did not pass legislation during the Spring of 2005, however, DWD is still committed to working on a system that will help parents make informed decisions about the care of their children. DWD is continuing to work with our partners to determine if there are key elements of the Quality Care for Quality Kids platform we can implement.

This initiative was proposed to rate the quality of child care providers, tie subsidy reimbursement rates to quality levels, and use quality ratings to offer parents more information to make the best possible child care choice. This web address provides information on how the Task Force Recommendation was made and what resources, research and materials were reviewed and discussed when developing the recommendation. Additionally, materials at this web address include frequently asked questions and answers and training materials developed to help the child care workforce clearly understand the components within the rating system.

The Registry

5900 Monona Drive, Suite 205
Madison WI 53716
608-222-1123
Fax: 608-222-9779
Email: registry@the-registry.org
Website: www.the-registry.org

The Registry is a career level system which awards a certificate verifying that an individual has met all State of Wisconsin, Department of Children and Families entry level training and is qualified for the position that s/he holds. Additional credit based training is categorized by core knowledge areas as defined by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. The Registry encourages professional development by defining set goals and recognizes the attainment of those goals by individuals. The Registry has developed highly specialized professional credentials and awards completion of the credential to those individuals who have met all prescribed goals.

R.E.W.A.R.D - Rewarding Education with Wages And Respect for Dedication

Wisconsin Early Childhood Association (WECA)
744 Williamson Street, Suite 200
Madison WI 53703
608-240-9880 or 1-800-783-9322
Fax: 608-240-9890
Website: www.wecanaeyc.org/reward

The R.E.W.A.R.D. ™ WISCONSIN Stipend Program is a compensation and retention initiative for members of the early care and education workforce. Incremental yearly salary supplements are awarded to individuals based on their educational attainments and longevity in the field. This program hopes to encourage increased education and retention through increased compensation.

Strengthening Families

Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP)
Website: www.cssp.org/doris_duke/pilots/wisconsin.pdf

Strengthening Families is a new, proven, cost-effective strategy to prevent child abuse and neglect. The strategy involves early childhood centers working with families to build protective factors around children. The effort is focused on supporting child care providers to strengthen families and help prevent abuse and neglect through their daily contact with parents and children.

Supporting Families Together Association

700 Rayovac Drive, Suite 6
Madison, WI 53711
Phone: 608-443-2490 or 1-888-713-KIDS
Fax: 608-441-5399
Email: info@supportingfamiliestogether.org
Website: www.supportingfamiliestogether.org

The Supporting Families Together Association was created in 2007 with a merger of the Wisconsin Child Care Resource and Referral Network, the Wisconsin Child Care Improvement Project, and a statewide network of Family Resource Centers. SFTA’s mission is to support groups that promote quality early care, resources, and education to enrich the lives of children and strengthen families. SFTA also provides training and technical assistance to existing and prospective family child care programs and group child care centers.

T.E.A.C.H. - Teacher Education And Compensation Helps

Wisconsin Early Childhood Association (WECA)
744 Williamson Street, Suite 200
Madison WI 53703
608-240-9880 or 1-800-783-9322
Fax: 608-240-9890
Website: www.wecanaeyc.org/teach

T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® WISCONSIN is a statewide scholarship program designed to help child care center teaching staff, Head Start teachers, family child care providers, center directors and administrators meet their professional development goals while continuing their current employment in regulated early childhood and school age care settings. T.E.A.C.H. links education, compensation and commitment to improving the quality of early education. Currently there are six scholarship models available to support credit-based education. T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® WISCONSIN is the scholarship program that pays for expenses related to the completion of an educational path. T.E.A.C.H. also provides career, academic and/or personal counseling services to recipients as needed.

Think Big. Start Small. (TBSS)

Website: www.4c-milwaukee.org/thinkbig/brochures

Think Big. Start Small. is a highly successful public outreach campaign created to increase awareness of the importance of high quality early care and education for all children. The messages of Think Big. Start Small. speak to parents, early childhood teachers, caregivers, and community members by focusing on:

• The importance of high quality early childhood education and care
• Recognition of the importance of early learning, which occurs and must be supported in any early childhood setting
• The important role that the community has in making sure every child has access to high quality early learning and care experiences.

Campaign materials include brochures which may be downloaded from this website.

T-Net, the Wisconsin Training Network and Event Calendar

The Registry
608-222-1123
Email: admin@t-net.org
Website: www.the-registry.org/myregistry/default.aspx

T-Net is the statewide, profession-wide, free, web-based interactive training calendar for anyone in the field of child care and education in Wisconsin. From the T-Net web site, events and trainings may be sorted according to area of the state, date, topic, sponsor, or presenter. Those looking for trainings to attend can create a personalized calendar or training "shopping cart" by selecting only those events in which they are interested. Agencies offering training are encouraged to register as sponsors and post their event information directly on the interactive T-Net web site. Trainers can print barcode verification labels from the T-Net site.

UMOS Migrant Daycare

300 South Koeller Street, Suite E
Oshkosh WI 54902
920-232-9611
Fax: 920-232-8129
Website: www.umos.org/childhood/

UMOS services enhance the overall development of children from migrant, transitional, and seasonal families through the consolidation and allocation of administration and social service migrant daycare funds. The overall goal of the UMOS Migrant Daycare Program is to collaboratively provide quality educational and supportive services to eligible migratory children, addressing their special needs and empowering them to achieve to high standards. UMOS currently provides services to migrant children in the following Wisconsin counties: Adams, Barron, Brown, Buffalo, Columbia, Dodge, Door, Fond du Lac, Green Lake, Jackson, Jefferson, Manitowoc, Marquette, Oconto, Outagamie, Ozaukee, Polk, Portage, Richland, Sauk, Sheboygan, St. Croix, Trempealeau, Waukesha, Waupaca, Waushara, Winnebago and Wood.

VSA arts of Wisconsin (Very Special Arts) Early Childhood Program

Alexis London
4785 Hayes Road, Suite 201
Madison WI 53704
608-241-2131
Fax: 608-241-1982
Email: vsawis@vsawis.org
Website: www.vsawis.org/ec.htm

The mission of VSA arts is to expand the capabilities, confidence and quality of life for individuals with disabilities by providing programs in the fine arts. The Early Childhood Program, which serves children from birth to age 6, provides arts training to educators at early childhood sites across the state, particularly in classrooms that have children with disabilities or serve a high at-risk population.

Waisman Center

1500 Highland Avenue
Madison WI 53705-2280
608-263-5776
TDD: 608-263-0802
Fax: 608-263-0529
Website: www.waisman.wisc.edu/cedd/ecfr.html

One of 14 national centers dedicated to the advancement of knowledge about human development and developmental disabilities through research and practice. The Waisman Center shares its resources in many ways: through public lectures and seminars; through consultation to physicians, educators, and other professionals; through an Internet web site and resource center specializing in topics related to developmental disabilities; and through articles in professional journals, books, and other publications. Birth to Three training and technical assistance is available at: www.waisman.wisc.edu/cedd/indexfr.html

Wisconsin AfterSchool Association

Rae Williams-DiMilo, President
PO Box 413
Milwaukee WI 53201-0413
414-229-5384
Fax: 414-229-3623
Email: rwdimilo@uwm.edu
Website: www.waaweb.org

The National AfterSchool Association's mission is to be the leading voice of the after-school profession dedicated to the development, education, and care of children and youth during their out-of-school hours. Wisconsin AfterSchool Association is the state affiliate of the national organization. The Wisconsin AfterSchool Association hosts a statewide conference, administers the Wisconsin School-Age Credential, publishes a quarterly newsletter, and supports public policy development at state and national levels.

Wisconsin Alliance for Infant Mental Health (WI-AIMH)

133 S Butler Street, Suite 340
Madison WI 53703-5606
608-442-0360
Website: www.wiimh.org/index.htm

WI-AIMH is focused on promoting healthy social and emotional development of all Wisconsin children birth through age five. Recent efforts have focused on the development of a blueprint for a comprehensive system of care that includes prevention, early intervention, and treatment. The goal of the initiative is to weave infant and early childhood principles into the fabric of all systems that touch the life of children under age five. The developing infant and early childhood system of care in Wisconsin includes the critical components of public awareness, training, service delivery, and policy.

Wisconsin Child Care Administrators' Association (WCCAA)

c/o Mid-WI CCR&R
23 Park Ridge Drive, Suite 11
Stevens Point WI 54481
1-800-930-KIDS (5437)
Email: wccaa@hotmail.com
Website: www.wccaa.org

WCCAA was formed to help child care administrators in Wisconsin network with each other, to spread the news about issues affecting them, to take joint action on advocacy issues, to help administrators find out about classes and training specifically designed to meet their needs.

Wisconsin Child Care Improvement Project (WCCIP)

[Please see Supporting Families Together Association]

Wisconsin Child Care Research Partnership (WCCRP)

Website: www.sohe.wisc.edu/outreach/wccrp

The Wisconsin Child Care Research Partnership was developed as a partnership between UW-Extension, the Department of Workforce Development, and the Wisconsin Child Care Resource and Referral Network. The Partnership conducted statewide research on all aspects of the early care and education system in the state between 2000 and 2006, as one of nine federally-funded research partnerships. The research findings, particularly related to the quality of care for low-income children, led to the publication of research briefs and policy options papers, as well as testimony, papers, and reports for many policy level groups. The Research Partnership provided many of the research analyses and simulations for the proposed Quality Care for Quality Kids Initiative during 2004-2005. The Research Partnership participated in a federal Data Research Capacity grant, working with partners to develop the statewide "provider file," containing data from several state agencies and groups. The Partnership formally ended in 2006, but materials are still available at the above web address.

Wisconsin Council on Children and Families (WCCF)

555 West Washington Avenue, Suite 200
Madison WI 53703-2615
608-284-0580
Fax: 608-284-0583
Email: Barbara Zuccarello bzuccarello@wccf.org
Website: www.wccf.org

The Wisconsin Council on Children and Families, Inc. is a nonprofit, multi-issue child and family advocacy agency. The Council's mission is to promote the well-being of children and families in Wisconsin by advocating for effective and efficient health, education, and human service delivery systems. WCCF accomplishes this through educational conferences; on-going projects like W-2 Watch (Wisconsin's Welfare Reform), Wisconsin Budget Project, and Great Beginnings (an early childhood brain development initiative); and publications like the WisKids Count Data Books and Juvenile Justice Pipeline. One major project is Early Education Matters. The intent of the Early Education Matters (EEM) Project is to expand the quality and quantity of early education experiences available to Wisconsin's four-year-olds. Although it is recognized that there are many needed early childhood system improvements, this project is funded to focus on community approaches to four-year-old kindergarten. This is accomplished by means of collaborations that involve a broad range of early childhood stakeholders including school districts, child care providers, Head Start and others with the intent to achieve a common goal--quality early learning options that include a 4K component and are readily available to parents.

Wisconsin Department of Children and Families, Division of Early Care and Education, Bureau of Early Care Regulation

201 East Washington Avenue, Room E200
PO Box 8916
Madison WI 53708-8916
608-266-9314
Fax: 608-267-7252
Website: www.dcf.wi.gov/childcare/

Jill Chase, Bureau Director
608-267-7933
Email: jill.chase@wisconsin.gov

Anne Carmody, Child Care Program Specialist
608-267-9761
Email: anne.carmody@wisconsin.gov

Jolene Ibeling, Certification Program Specialist
608-267-2079
Email: jolene.ibeling@wisconsin.gov

The Bureau of Early Care Regulation is responsible for regulating licensed and certified child care in Wisconsin. It provides quality assurance and consumer protection services for children in care in licensed and certified child care programs throughout the state. The Bureau's website includes forms and publications, Regional Office contacts, administrative codes and statutes related to child care, and information on choosing and locating child care, on starting a child care program, and on background checks.

Wisconsin Department of Children and Families, Division of Early Care and Education, Bureau of Quality Improvement

Laura Saterfield
201 East Washington Avenue, Room E200
PO Box 7935
Madison WI 53708-7935
608-266-3443
Fax: 608-267-7252
Email: laura.saterfield@wisconsin.gov
Website: www.dcf.wi.gov/childcare/
Quality Initiatives: www.dcf.wi.gov/childcare/quality

The Bureau of Quality Improvement works in cooperation with the early childhood community in administering a wide variety of programs and services to provide access to affordable, high quality child care and early education experiences, to enhance our children's development and to support their families in work and parenting roles.

The Bureau has lead planning responsibility for quality improvement efforts. It works with the YoungStar Consortium to administer the YoungStar Child Care Quality Rating and Improvement System. It administers the Child Care Resource and Referral Contract through the Supporting Families Together Association; the Scholarship and Bonus Initiative through the Wisconsin Early Childhood Association; and training, technical assistance, and professional development efforts to support quality improvement for the child care workforce.>

Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI)

125 South Webster Street
PO Box 7841
Madison WI 53707-7841
Website: www.dpi.wi.gov

The Department of Public Instruction website provides a wealth of information about:
BadgerLink: www.badgerlink.net/
Child and Adult Care Food Program: www.dpi.wi.gov/fns/cacfp1.html
Cooperative Educational Service Agencies: www.dpi.wi.gov/ec/ecbycesa.html
Early Childhood Special Education: www.dpi.wi.gov/ec/ecspedhm.html
Four-Year-Old Kindergarten: www.dpi.wi.gov/ec/ec4yrpag.html
Many other early childhood topics: www.dpi.wi.gov/ec/index.html

Wisconsin Division for Early Childhood (WDEC)

Gaye Tylka
923 East Garland Street
West Salem WI 54669
608-786-4844
Fax: 608-786-4801
Email: gtylka@cesa4.k12.wi.us
Website: www.dec-sped.org

WDEC is a state chapter of the Division for Early Childhood (DEC), one of seventeen divisions of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), the largest international professional organization dedicated to improving educational outcomes for individuals with exceptionalities, students with disabilities, and/or the gifted. DEC is especially for individuals who work with or on behalf of children with special needs, birth through age eight, and their families. Founded in 1973, the Division is dedicated to promoting policies and practices that support families and enhance the optimal development of children. DEC is an international community of 5,000 professionals and family members - in 50 U.S. states, 9 Canadian provinces, and 22 other countries - all working together to support the development of young children with special needs and to create a system of support for all young children and their families. WDEC established the Jenny Lange Scholarship Fund through UW-Whitewater and is a co-sponsor of the annual Wisconsin Early Childhood Education and Care Conference and the biennial JoLyn Beeman Memorial Lecture Series. Membership in WDEC provides reduced fees at these conferences, a state newsletter, and monthly publications, including the Young Exceptional Children journal.

Wisconsin Early Childhood Association (WECA)

Milwaukee Office
1556 N Farwell Avenue
Milwaukee WI 53202-2366
414-278-9322
Fax: 414-278-9336
Email: milwweca@execpc.com

Food Program Email: cacfp@wecanaeyc.org
R.E.W.A.R.D. Email: reward@wecanaeyc.org
T.E.A.C.H. Email: teach@wecanaeyc.org
Website: www.wecanaeyc.org

WECA is a statewide, nonprofit organization serving as a professional association whose members care for and educate Wisconsin's children ages birth to eight. WECA is an affiliate of the National Association for the Education for Young Children (NAEYC). WECA advocates for the child care profession, offers training and professional development, sponsors a Child Care Food Program, and administers the T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood ® WISCONSIN Scholarship Program which offers scholarship opportunities to teachers, family child care providers, center directors and administrators for credit-based training. WECA also administers the R.E.W.A.R.D. ™ WISCONSIN Stipend Program, a statewide compensation initiative that awards stipends directly to family child care providers, center teachers, and program directors based on attained levels of education. In addition to co-sponsoring a statewide conference annually, WECA provides workshops and presentations on a variety of early care and education topics. The WECA web pages identify training and workshop opportunities that are offered.

Wisconsin Early Childhood Collaborating Partners (WECCP)

Jill Haglund
Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
PO Box 7841
Madison WI 53707-7841
608-267-9625
Fax: 608-266-2529
Email: jill.haglund@dpi.wi.gov
Website: www.collaboratingpartners.com/index.html

"Working to Transform Early Childhood Care and Education", WECCP represents many public and private agencies, associations, and individuals that care about our state's young children and their families. The Collaborating Partners have come together to promote the blending of our state's current separate early childhood education and care systems. Their goal is to develop a quality, comprehensive early childhood system which shares responsibility among families, providers, the public sector, and the private sector. Links to the following activities and resources can be found: Early Childhood Special Education, Professional Development, Early Childhood Economic Development, 4-Year-Old Kindergarten and Community Collaborations.

The WECCP listserve (http://dpi.wi.gov/ec/eclistsv.html) is designed to facilitate interactive, electronic communication between agencies, associations, and individuals providing services to Wisconsin's young children (birth to age 8) and their families. The focus of this listserve is on state, community and interagency efforts to improve service delivery approaches for young children and their families.

WECCP information on community approaches to serving children is available at: www.collaboratingpartners.com/community4.htm

Wisconsin Family Child Care Association (WFCCA)

Celeste Swoboda
914 Therbrook Street
Chippewa Falls WI 54729
715-726-0185
Email: president@wisconsinfamilychildcare.org
Website: www.wisconsinfamilychildcare.org/

The Wisconsin Family Child Care Association, WFCCA, is a statewide organization of family child care providers and their supporters, formed to provide support, involvement, and communication with others in the profession.
The goal of the Association is to help maintain the high quality of care that promotes the physical, intellectual, emotional, and social development of children by:

• Promoting the awareness of family child care as a viable choice in child care
• Promoting awareness of the professionalism of family child care
• Providing an opportunity for input into laws concerning children
• Providing a statewide information/assistance network
• Providing an opportunity for involvement, support, and communication with others

Wisconsin First Step

1900 South Avenue, NCA2-04
La Crosse WI 54601
1-800-642-7837
Email: wispubhealth@mch-hotlines.org
Website: www.mch-hotlines.org

Wisconsin First Step is a statewide Information and Referral (I&R) hotline that serves families with children who have special health care needs. The line is operational 24 hours/day, 7 days a week.

Wisconsin Head Start Association (WHSA)

122 E Olin Avenue, Suite 110
Madison WI 53713
608-442-6879
Fax: 608-442-7672
Email: kovarik@whsaonline.org
Website: www.whsaonline.org

Head Start is a Federal program for preschool children from low-income families. The Wisconsin Head Start Association (WHSA) is a private, not-for-profit, membership organization representing more than 16,000 children, upwards of 3,000 staff and 54 Head Start programs in Wisconsin. WHSA is an association of leaders dedicated to assuring the availability of comprehensive, top quality services for children and families in our state. They accomplish this through advocacy, the delivery of professional development services, and the creation of unique resources for people and organizations committed to families.

Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA)

Milwaukee Office
140 South 1st Street, Suite 200
Milwaukee WI 53204
414-227-4039 or 1-800-628-4833
Fax: 414-227-4704
Website: www.wheda.com

WHEDA operates two programs that benefit child care providers who are looking for additional funding:

• The Linked Deposit Loan (LIDL) Subsidy which assists women and/or minority-owned and controlled businesses in the start-up or expansion of their business by reducing the interest rate on their bank loans.
• Small Business Guarantee which can assist in the expansion or acquisition of a small business, or assist in the start-up of a child care business which may be owned by an individual, a partnership, a corporation, a non-profit organization, or a cooperative.

For additional information about eligibility requirements, eligible uses of loan proceeds, terms and conditions, and the application process and fees, contact WHEDA.

Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standards (WMELS)

Wisconsin Department of Children and Families, Bureau of Quality Improvement
201 East Washington Avenue
Room E200, PO Box 7935
Madison WI 53708-7935
608-266-7001
Fax: 608-267-7252
Website: www.collaboratingpartners.com/wmels-about.php

The WMELS are derived from research in all the domains of the child's early learning and development and apply to all settings in which children receive care and education. They were developed by the WMELS Steering Committee, composed of representatives from the state departments of Public Instruction, Health and Family Services, and Workforce Development; the Head Start State Collaboration Office; and Wisconsin Early Childhood Collaborating Partners. The WMELS are a listing of developmental expectations for children upon kindergarten completion supported by practice-based evidence and scientific research. The WMELS provide a shared framework for understanding and communicating expectations for young children's development. The WMELS are a guide for parents, early care and education professionals, and policymakers, all of whom share responsibility for the well being of young children. A copy of the WMELS can be downloaded at the link listed above. The Frequently Asked Questions list commonly asked questions regarding the development and intended use of the standards. Training for Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standards is taking place throughout Wisconsin for educators, child care providers and families who want to continue to improve the quality of early education and care for children from birth through the completion of kindergarten.

Wisconsin Professional Credential for Child Care Administrators (WPCCCA)

Jeanne M. O'Brien
414-453-2659
Email: jobrien@world.std.com
or contact The Registry

An 18 credit sequence of courses offered throughout Wisconsin.

Wisconsin Shares Child Care Subsidy Program and Fraud Detection Investigation Unit

Wisconsin Department of Children and Families, Bureau of Child Care Administration
201 E Washington Avenue, PO Box 7935
Madison WI 53708-7935
608-261-6317, Option 2
Fax: 608-266-8302
Website: www.dcf.wi.gov/childcare/wishares

Wisconsin Shares helps hardworking, low-income parents pay for the child care they need to be able to work and support their families. The Bureau of Child Care Administration manages Wisconsin Shares and coordinates its administration through counties and tribes. The Bureau also works hard to find, stop, and punish fraud in the Program.

Wisconsin Women's Business Initiative Corporation (WWBIC)

Madison Office
2300 South Park Street
Madison WI 53713
608-257-5450
Fax: 608-257-5454