49.129(3)(a)(a) The department shall request any necessary authorization from the appropriate federal agency to deliver benefits that are administered by the department, other than food stamp benefits, to recipients of benefits by an electronic benefit transfer system.
49.129(3)(b)
(b) If the necessary authorization under
par. (a) is granted, and except as provided in
sub. (8), the department may implement a program to deliver by an electronic benefit transfer system any benefit that is administered by the department and that the department designates by rule.
49.129(4)
(4) Duties; implementation. In implementing a program to deliver benefits by an electronic benefit transfer system, the department shall do all of the following:
49.129(4)(a)
(a) Consult with members of the following groups:
49.129(4)(a)4.
4. Appropriate county, state and tribal governing body employees.
49.129(4)(a)5.
5. Persons who sell goods or services to recipients for which payment may be made by use of an electronic benefit transfer system, including, as appropriate, retailers, landlords and public utilities.
49.129(4)(b)
(b) Hold informational meetings at a variety of locations around the state.
49.129(4)(c)
(c) To the extent possible, maximize the use of existing automated teller machines and point-of-sale terminals.
49.129(5)
(5) State agencies. The department may enter into an agreement with any state agency to deliver benefits paid by that agency by an electronic benefit transfer system.
49.129(5m)
(5m) Joint committee on finance review. Prior to implementing the electronic benefit transfer system under this section, the department shall notify the joint committee on finance of the proposed system. The department may proceed with implementation of the system if, within 14 working days of the notification, the committee does not schedule a meeting for the purpose of reviewing the department's proposed system. If the committee schedules a meeting for the purpose of reviewing the proposed system, the system shall not take effect unless the committee approves the system.
49.129(6)
(6) Administration; contracts. The department may enter into a contract with any financial institution, as defined in
s. 705.01 (3), or other fiscal intermediary to administer a program to deliver benefits to recipients by an electronic benefit transfer system. The contract shall require the contractor to do all of the following:
49.129(6)(a)
(a) Provide training on the use of the electronic benefit transfer system to the persons enumerated in
sub. (4) (a).
49.129(6)(b)
(b) Provide ongoing assistance, on a 24-hour basis, on the use of the electronic benefit transfer system.
49.129(7)
(7) Rules. The department shall promulgate rules for the administration of the electronic benefit transfer system under this section. The rules shall include all of the following:
49.129(7)(a)
(a) The liability, and limits on the liability, of a recipient for lost benefits after the loss or theft of a card issued to the recipient under
sub. (4) (d).
49.129(7)(b)
(b) The suspension from a program of recipients, retailers or other participants for fraudulent activity, as defined by the department.
49.129(7)(d)
(d) Measures to be taken by the department or the person with whom the department contracts under
sub. (6) to ensure the security of card issuance and electronic transfer of benefits.
49.129(8)
(8) County participation; exception. The department may not require a county or tribal governing body to participate in an electronic benefit transfer system under this section if the costs to the county or tribal governing body would be greater than the costs that the county or tribal governing body would incur in delivering the benefits through a system that is not an electronic benefit transfer system.
49.129 History
History: 1995 a. 368.
49.133
49.133
Refusal to pay child care providers. The department or a county department under
s. 46.215,
46.22 or
46.23 may refuse to pay a child care provider for child care provided under s.
49.132, 1995 stats., or any other program if any of the following applies to the child care provider, employee or person living on the premises where child care is provided:
49.133(1)
(1) The person has been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor that the department or county department under
s. 46.215,
46.22 or
46.23 determines substantially relates to the care of children.
49.133(2)
(2) The person is the subject of a pending criminal charge that the department or county department under
s. 46.215,
46.22 or
46.23 determines substantially relates to the care of children.
49.133(3)
(3) The person has been determined under
s. 48.981 to have abused or neglected a child.
49.133 History
History: 1989 a. 31;
1995 a. 404 s.
122; Stats. 1995 s. 49.133;
1997 a. 252.
49.134
49.134
Child care resource and referral service grants. 49.134(1)(a)
(a) "Indian tribe" means a federally recognized American Indian tribe or band in this state.
49.134(1)(b)
(b) "Local agency" means a nonprofit, tax-exempt corporation or an Indian tribe that provides or proposes to provide child care resource and referral services that are funded under this section.
49.134(1)(c)
(c) "Nonprofit, tax-exempt corporation" means a nonstock corporation organized under
ch. 181 that is a nonprofit corporation, as defined in
s. 181.0103 (17), and that is exempt from taxation under section
501 (c) of the internal revenue code.
49.134(2)
(2) Resource and referral service grants. 49.134(2)(a)(a) From the allocation under
s. 49.155 (1g) (b), the department shall make grants to local agencies to fund child care resource and referral services provided by those local agencies. The department shall provide an allocation formula to determine the amount of a grant awarded under this section.
49.134(2)(c)
(c) A local agency that is awarded a grant under this section shall contribute matching funds equal to 25% of the amount awarded under this section. The match may be in the form of money or in-kind goods or services, or both.
49.134(2)(d)
(d) The department may award a grant under this section to a local agency only if that local agency meets any of the following requirements:
49.134(2)(d)1.
1. The local agency is solely in the business of providing child care resource and referral services.
49.134(2)(d)2.
2. If the local agency provides services, or is affiliated with a person who provides services, other than child care resource and referral services, the local agency, or the person with whom the local agency is affiliated, is not a provider of child care services or of early childhood education services and the local agency has an advisory committee to provide oversight for the portion of the local agency's services that are child care resource and referral services.
49.134(3)(a)(a) A local agency that is awarded a grant under this section may use the funds to provide any of the following services:
49.134(3)(a)1.
1. Technical assistance and support to child care providers.
49.134(3)(a)2.
2. Recruitment of child care providers in areas of need.
49.134(3)(a)3.
3. Information on the child care service options that are available in the community served by the local agency.
49.134(3)(a)4.
4. A data resource file that identifies the child care service options that are available in the community served by the local agency and that documents the requests and needs of parents in that community for child care services.
49.134(3)(a)5.
5. Programs or information on continuing education and training for child care providers.
49.134(3)(a)6.
6. Any other information regarding the availability and quality of child care services in the community served by the local agency.
49.134(3)(b)
(b) A local agency that is awarded a grant under this section may not use the funds to supplant any other funds that the local agency uses to provide child care resource and referral services at the time of the awarding of the grant.
49.134(4)
(4) Department responsibilities. The department shall do all of the following:
49.134(4)(a)
(a) Administer, or contract for the administration of, the grant program under this section, provide an application procedure for that program and disburse funds awarded under that program.
49.134(4)(b)
(b) Provide consultation and technical assistance to local agencies in the preparation of grant applications and the operation of child care resource and referral services programs funded under this section.
49.134(4)(c)
(c) Monitor the child care resource and referral services provided by a grant recipient.
49.134 History
History: 1991 a. 275;
1993 a. 16;
1995 a. 27;
1995 a. 404 ss.
123 to
129; Stats. 1995 s. 49.134;
1997 a. 27,
79.
49.136
49.136
Child care start-up and expansion. 49.136(1)(d)
(d) "Day care center" means a facility operated by a child care provider that provides care and supervision for 4 or more children under 7 years of age for less than 24 hours a day.
49.136(1)(e)
(e) "Day care program" means a program established and provided by a school board under
s. 120.13 (14) or purchased by a school board from a provider licensed under
s. 48.65, which combines care for a child who resides with a student parent who is a parent of that child with parenting education and experience for that student parent.
49.136(1)(g)
(g) "Employer" means a person who engages the services of an employee, and includes the state, its political subdivisions and any office, department, independent agency, authority, institution, association, society or other body in state or local government created or authorized to be created by the constitution or any law, including the courts and the legislature.
49.136(1)(j)
(j) "Family day care center" means a day care center that provides care and supervision for not less than 4 nor more than 8 children.
49.136(1)(k)
(k) "Group day care center" means a day care center that provides care and supervision for 9 or more children.
49.136(1)(m)
(m) "Parent" means a parent, guardian, foster parent, treatment foster parent, legal custodian or a person acting in the place of a parent.
49.136(1)(n)
(n) "Student parent" means a pupil who is enrolled in a middle school, junior high school or senior high school and who is a parent.
49.136(2)(a)(a) From the allocation under
s. 49.155 (1g) (b), the department shall award grants for the start-up or expansion of child care services.
49.136(2)(b)
(b) The department shall attempt to award grants under this section to head start agencies designated under
42 USC 9836, employers that provide or wish to provide child care services for their employees, family day care centers, group day care centers and day care programs for the children of student parents, organizations that provide child care for sick children and child care providers that employ participants or former participants in a Wisconsin works employment position under
s. 49.147 (3) to
(5).
49.136(2)(cm)
(cm) A person who is awarded a grant under this subsection shall contribute matching funds equal to 25% of the amount awarded under this subsection. The match may be in the form of money or in-kind goods or services, or both.
49.136(6)
(6) Limit on expenditure of funds. No funds provided under this section may be used for the purchase or improvement of land or for the purchase, construction or permanent improvement, other than minor remodeling, of any building or facility.
49.136(7)(a)(a) The department shall establish guidelines for eligibility for a grant under this section. The department need not promulgate those guidelines as rules under
ch. 227.
49.136(7)(b)
(b) The department may administer the grant application process under this section or contract for the administration of that process.
49.137
49.137
Child care quality improvement. 49.137(1)(c)
(c) "Family child care system" means a centralized administrative unit that offers technical assistance and support to a group of child care providers with the goal of improving child care services.
49.137(2)(a)(a) From the allocation under
s. 49.155 (1g) (b), the department may award grants to child care providers that meet the quality of care standards established under
s. 49.155 (1d) (b) to improve the retention of skilled and experienced child care staff. In awarding grants under this subsection, the department shall consider the applying child care provider's total enrollment of children and average enrollment of children who receive or are eligible for publicly funded care from the child care provider.
49.137(2)(b)
(b) A child care provider that is awarded a grant under this subsection shall contribute matching funds equal to 25% of the amount awarded under this subsection. The match may be in the form of money or in-kind goods or services, or both.
49.137(2)(c)
(c) A child care provider that is awarded a grant under this subsection may use the funds to provide advanced training for the child care provider's child care staff, to improve the salaries and benefits provided to the child care provider's child care staff and to undertake other activities or projects to improve the retention of the child care provider's child care staff.
49.137(3)(a)(a) From the allocation under
s. 49.155 (1g) (b), the department may award grants to child care providers for assistance in meeting the quality of care standards established under
s. 49.155 (1d) (b).
49.137(3)(b)
(b) A child care provider that is awarded a grant under this subsection shall contribute matching funds equal to 25% of the amount awarded under this subsection. The match may be in the form of money or in-kind goods or services, or both.
49.137(3)(c)
(c) A child care provider that is awarded a grant under this subsection shall use the grant funds to attempt to meet the quality of care standards established under s.
49.132 (4) (e), 1995 stats., within 24 months after receipt of the grant.
49.137(4)
(4) Training and technical assistance contracts. From the allocation under
s. 49.155 (1g) (b), the department may contract with one or more agencies for the provision of training and technical assistance to improve the quality of child care provided in this state. The training and technical assistance activities contracted for under this subsection may include any of the following activities:
