Child Care Counts: COVID-19 Supplementary Payment Round 2

The Wisconsin Department of Children and Families (DCF) is providing a second round of supplemental payments to support child care providers in a program called, Child Care Counts: COVID-19 Supplementary Payment – Round 2 – see Información en español.

A second round of CARES Act dollars ($50 million) is being directed to allow DCF to provide an additional round of payments to early care and education providers. Applications are being accepted starting Monday, October 26, 2020 and will close Friday, November 6, 2020.

Two-Program Summary

Program A (Providing Safe, Healthy, and High-Quality Child Care Opportunities)

Support to cover costs of maintaining or enhancing compliance status, quality level (YoungStar rating), and increasing health and safety practices. Funds can be used for:

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Materials/supplies for cleaning and sanitation
Materials/supplies for enhancing environment
Professional Development and/or continuing education
Structural changes/modifications to meet compliance guidelines
Additional costs to ensure high-quality programming

Program B (Funding Staff Recruitment and Retention Efforts)

Support to cover costs associated with recruiting and retaining staff. Funds can be used to:

Provide incentive pay or sign-on bonus to current or future employees with approved background checks.

Requirements to apply

Be open or able to reopen by 12/14/20 and caring for children ages 0-12 (or under age 18 for children with disabilities)
Follow health and safety guidelines for child care providers as outlined by DCF
Have a license or certification in good standing as outlined by DCF
Licensed Group Centers, Licensed Day Camps & Public School Programs: During 10/11/20 – 10/17/20, have at least 1/3 of enrolled children are age 5 or under.
Regulated Family Providers: During 10/11/20 – 10/17/20, have at least 1 enrolled child age 5 or under.

For more information on how to apply, visit the DCF website how to prepare for a payment application and a step-by-step guide to complete an application.