DCF 250.03(5)
(5) “Department" means the Wisconsin department of children and families.
DCF 250.03(5m)
(5m) “
Early childhood education” means the teaching of children who are 8 years of age or less.
DCF 250.03(6)
(6) “Emergency” means unforeseen circumstances that require immediate attention.
DCF 250.03(7)
(7) “Emergency back-up provider" means a designated adult available within 5 minutes of the premises who can provide assistance in the event an emergency occurs that requires a provider to leave the premises occasionally for a short period of time.
DCF 250.03(8)
(8) “Employee" means any adult who is compensated to provide care and supervision of children enrolled in a family child care center, including a helper or assistant to a child care provider.
DCF 250.03(8m)
(8m) “EPSDT provider" means a provider of health assessment and evaluation services that is eligible to be certified under s.
DHS 105.37 (1) (a).
DCF 250.03(9)
(9) “Family child care center" or “center" means a facility where a person provides care and supervision for less than 24 hours a day for at least 4 and not more than 8 children who are not related to the provider.
DCF 250.03(10)
(10) “Field trip" means any experience a child has away from the premises of the center while in the care of center staff, whether a child walks or is transported.
DCF 250.03(11)
(11) “Fit and qualified" means displaying the capacity to successfully nurture and care for children and may include consideration of any of the following:
DCF 250.03(11)(b)
(b) A history of a civil or criminal conviction or administrative rule violation that is substantially related to the care of children, as determined under s.
DCF 13.05.
DCF 250.03(11)(d)
(d) A history of civil or criminal offenses or any other action that demonstrates an inability to manage the activities of a center.
DCF 250.03(12)
(12) “Foster care" means care and maintenance provided to a child in a foster home pursuant to a court order or voluntary placement agreement.
DCF 250.03(13m)
(13m) “Hazard" means a potential source of harm that can jeopardize the health, safety or well-being of a child in care.
DCF 250.03(14)
(14) “
Hours of operation” means the hours within the terms of the license during which children are actually in the care of the center.
DCF 250.03(14m)
(14m) “Household member" means any person who resides, or is expected to reside, at the family child care center and who has or may have direct contact with a child in the care of the center, whether or not related to the licensee.
DCF 250.03(15)
(15) “Inclement weather" means stormy or severe weather such as any of the following:
DCF 250.03(15)(c)
(c) Wind chills of 0 degrees Fahrenheit or below for children age 2 and above.
DCF 250.03(15)(d)
(d) Wind chills of 20 degrees Fahrenheit or below for children under age 2.
DCF 250.03(17)
(17) “In care” means the center is providing supervision, either on or off the premises, including during center-provided transportation, for the safety and the developmental needs of the child or children.
DCF 250.03(17m)
(17m) “
Licensed hours” means the authorized hours specified on the license certificate and letter of transmittal within which the center may provide care.
DCF 250.03(18)
(18) “Licensee” means the individual that has the legal and fiscal responsibility for the operation of a center and for meeting the requirements of this chapter.
DCF 250.03(19)
(19) “Licensing representative" means a department employee responsible for licensing family child care centers.
DCF 250.03(21)
(21) “Night care” means any care that is offered by a licensed family child care center between 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m.
DCF 250.03(23)
(23) “Physical restraint" means the use of physical force to restrict the free movement of all or a portion of a child's body.
DCF 250.03(26)
(26) “Premises” means the tract of land on which the center is located, including all buildings and structures on that land.
DCF 250.03(26m)
(26m) “
Program aide” means a person who works under the supervision of a provider and assists with daily activities and maintenance of the program, such as preparing and participating in program activities and cleaning the premises.
DCF 250.03(27)
(27) “Provider” means an adult who has met the requirements specified in s.
DCF 250.05 (3) in a family child care center and who provides care and supervision of the children in care of the center.
DCF 250.03(28)
(28) “Provider's own children" means a provider's natural or adopted children, foster children, stepchildren, or other children who reside in the family child care center.
DCF 250.03(29)
(29) “Representative of the department" means a department employee or a representative from an agency the department contracts with to provide pre-licensing services.
DCF 250.03(30)
(30) “School-age child" means a child 5 years of age or older who is enrolled in a public or private school.
DCF 250.03(30m)
(30m) “Shaken baby syndrome" or “SBS" means a severe form of brain injury that occurs when an infant or young child is shaken or thrown forcibly enough to cause the brain to rebound against his or her skull.
DCF 250.03(31)
(31) “Sleeping bag" means a padded fabric bag that is closed or capable of being closed on 3 sides.
DCF 250.03(32)
(32) “Substitute" means a provider who replaces another provider on a pre-arranged basis.
DCF 250.03(33)
(33) “Sudden infant death syndrome" or “SIDS" means the sudden death of an infant under one year of age that remains unexplained after a thorough case investigation, including performance of a complete autopsy, examination of the death scene and a review of the clinical history.
DCF 250.03(35)
(35) “Toddler" means a child at least one year of age but less than 2 years of age.
DCF 250.03(36)
(36) “Universal precautions" means measures taken to prevent transmission of infection from contact with blood or other potentially infectious material, as recommended by the U.S. public health service's centers for disease control and adopted by the U.S. occupational safety and health administration (OSHA) as
29 CFR 1910.1030.
DCF 250.03 Note
Note: “Standard precautions" for infection control measures incorporate universal precautions. Information on the OSHA requirements related to standard or universal precautions is available on the OSHA web site at
http://www.osha.gov. Information is also available from the Child Care Information Center, 1-800-362-7353.
DCF 250.03(37)
(37) “Volunteer" means a person who is not paid, but who agrees to give time, with or without reimbursement for expenses, to transport children attending a family child care center or to work in a family child care center.
DCF 250.03(38)
(38) “Wading pool" means a shallow pool, with sides of 15 inches or less in height, capable of being dumped to change water and used primarily for small children.
DCF 250.03 History
History: CR 03-052: cr.
Register December 2004 No. 588, eff. 3-1-05; corrections in (2), (5), (11) (b), (14), (20) and (34) made under s.
13.92 (4) (b) 6. and
7., Stats.,
Register November 2008 No. 635;
CR 07-102: cr. (4m), (11) (d), (13m), (14m) and (30m), am. (10), (11) (intro.), (15) (b) to (d), (18), (27), (28), (34) and (37)
Register December 2008 No. 636, eff. 1-1-09; corrections in (27) and (34) made under s.
13.92 (4) (b) 7., Stats.,
Register December 2008 No. 636;
CR 10-148: am. (13)
Register August 2011 No. 668, eff. 9-1-11; correction in (2), (11) (b) made under s.
13.92 (4) (b) 7., Stats.,
Register September 2016 No. 729;
EmR1918: emerg. r. and recr. (1), (2), cr. (3m), (5m), r. and recr. (6), am. (11) (b), (17), cr. (17m), am. (18), r. (20), am. (21), (27), (34), eff. 1-30-19;
CR 19-089: r. and recr. (1), (2), cr. (3m), (5m), r. and recr. (6), am. (11) (b), (17), cr. (17m), am. (18), r. (20), am. (21), (27), (34)
Register March 2020 No. 771, eff. 4-1-20, except (18), eff. 4-1-20 and 10-1-21;
CR 20-003: renum. (14) to (8m) and am.
Register July 2020 No. 775, eff. 8-1-20;
CR 21-100: renum. (1) to (1r), cr. (1g), (14), am. (17), cr. (26m), am. (34)
Register February 2023 No. 806, eff. 3-1-23; correction in (25) made under s.
13.92 (4) (b) 7., Stats.,
Register February 2023 No. 806.
DCF 250.04(1)(a)(a) The number of children in the care of a family child care center at any time may not exceed the number for which the center is licensed.
DCF 250.04 Note
Note: Denying admission on the basis of race, disability, religion, or certain other characteristics may be illegal under the state public accommodations law, federal law related to the use of federal funding, and some local anti-discrimination ordinances.
DCF 250.04(1)(b)
(b) The age of children served by a center may not be younger or older than the age range specified in the license issued.
DCF 250.04(1)(c)
(c) The hours, days and months of a center's operation may not exceed those specified in the license.
DCF 250.04(2)
(2) Administration. A licensee shall do all of the following:
DCF 250.04(2)(a)
(a) Comply with all laws governing the facility and its operation.
DCF 250.04 Note
Note: Denying admission on the basis of race, disability, religion, or certain other characteristics may be illegal under the state public accommodations law, federal law related to the use of federal funding, and some local anti-discrimination ordinances.
DCF 250.04(2)(c)
(c) Ensure that all information provided to the department is current and accurate.
DCF 250.04(2)(cm)
(cm) If residing in another state, designate in writing, as part of the application under s.
DCF 250.11 (3) and
(4), a Wisconsin resident who is responsible on behalf of the licensee for ensuring compliance with all requirements of this chapter.
DCF 250.04(2)(d)
(d) Prior to receiving or continuing a license, complete all application forms and pay all fees and forfeitures due to the department.
DCF 250.04 Note
Note: The Department will provide an application after a Department representative completes the provision of pre-licensing technical assistance.
DCF 250.04(2)(e)
(e) Develop, submit to the department, implement, and provide to the parents written policies and procedures consistent with the requirements of this chapter related to all of the following:
DCF 250.04(2)(e)3.
3. Child and provider absences, including a procedure to contact a parent if a child is absent from the center without prior notification from the child's parent.
DCF 250.04(2)(e)4.
4. Children's and staff's health care, including those policies and procedures pertaining to SIDS risk reduction, if the center is licensed to care for children under one year of age.
DCF 250.04(2)(e)7.
7. Child guidance, including appropriate ways to manage crying, fussing or distraught children.
DCF 250.04(2)(e)8.
8. Transportation of children for any purpose including field trips. The policy shall include a procedure to ensure that no child has been left unattended in a vehicle.
DCF 250.04(2)(e)10.
10. Information related to the numbers, types and location of pets or other animals located on the premises of the center and the type of access the children will have to the pets.
DCF 250.04(2)(f)
(f) Develop, submit to the department, and implement a written orientation plan for any employees, substitutes, and emergency back-up providers. The orientation plan shall cover all the items described in s.
DCF 250.05 (4) (a) and
(b).
DCF 250.04 Note
Note: See s.
DCF 250.05 (2) (a) and
(b) regarding providing an orientation to employees, substitutes and emergency back-up providers.
DCF 250.04(2)(g)
(g) Maintain liability insurance on the child care business if cats or dogs are allowed in areas accessible to children during the hours of operation. The insurance policy shall indicate the number of children covered and the dates of coverage.
DCF 250.04(2)(gm)
(gm) Provide written information to parents on whether a licensee has insurance coverage on the premises and on the child care business.
DCF 250.04 Note
Note: The information provided could be included as a rider on a homeowner policy or a separate insurance policy on the child care business. A certificate of insurance or other documentation from an insurance company that indicates the number of children covered, dates of coverage, and types of pets covered is acceptable.
DCF 250.04(2)(h)
(h) Post the child care license in a location where parents can see it during the hours of operation.
DCF 250.04(2)(i)1.a.
a. The current licensing statement of compliance or noncompliance statement and correction plan, including any rule violations the department has not verified as corrected and in compliance.
DCF 250.04(2)(i)1.b.
b. Any notice from the department related to rule violations, such as a warning letter or enforcement action.
DCF 250.04(2)(i)1.c.
c. Any stipulations, conditions, temporary closures, exceptions, or exemptions that affect the license.
DCF 250.04(2)(i)2.
2. All items posted as required under this paragraph shall be visible to parents.
DCF 250.04(2)(j)
(j) Ensure that any action, by commission or omission, or any condition or occurrence relating to the operation or maintenance of the child care center does not adversely affect the health, safety or welfare of any child under the care of the licensee.
