This brief report provides information from a survey of Wisconsin’s regulated child care providers about how they address the needs of young children with challenging behaviors. Or view the report summary here.
A checklist for the outdoor environments of your family child care program.
Behavior Help Wisconsin helps child care providers struggling with the behavior of a child. Their social emotional approach helps children receive the targeted support they need to reduce challenging behaviors and promote positive ones.
Milwaukee has specific zoning requirements for family child care programs. Submit this form to apply for a permit.
Purchase SFTA's group center policy template to take the guesswork out of creating your policy. Our template can easily be customized to your unique program and vision.
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To view this resource, log in as an SFTA MemberA checklist for the indoor environments of your family child care program.
The YoungStar evaluation criteria outlines the items that will be evaluated. Familiarizing yourself with the criteria can help you prepare for a YoungStar rating.
Everything you need to know to become a certified family child care provider in Wisconsin. Note: A certified family provider is different than a licensed family provider.
A bulleted guide of social-emotional developmental indicators for children aged birth through 3.5 years.
Take a short online survey that allows parents and caregivers of infants and toddlers to recognize and explore their own temperament traits and those of the children in their care.
Learn about childhood trauma, including causes, standard of care, access to services for traumatized children, and more.
Use this tool to learn more about physical developmental delays for children ages 5 and under. The information is meant to help you start a conversation with your child’s pediatrician.
Resources to help parents and care providers identify and respond to potential delays in children's development.
Resources to help parents and care providers identify and respond to potential delays in children's development.
This overview explains what Infant/Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation is, its benefits, and what you can expect when meeting with an IMH Consultant.
WIAIMH promotes social-emotional learning and relationship-based practices that are in the best interest of infants, young children, and their families.
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To view this resource, log in as an SFTA MemberThese websites can help you create professional quality advertisements and materials.
An overview of the print materials every business needs, with tips and links to help you design and create them yourself.
Learn how to create and use a Facebook page for your business that represents your brand and drives customers.
A list of top sites that can help you build your business's website by yourself.
WWBIC assists individuals who are starting, strengthening, or expanding businesses by providing direct lending, quality business and financial capability education, and one-on-one technical business assistance.
The Wisconsin SBDC offers consulting, education, referrals, sophisticated tools and resources, whether you’re just getting started or looking for ways to improve your business.
Information to help you plan, start, manage, and grow your child care business.
SCORE’s mission is to foster vibrant small business communities through mentoring and education. Find a mentor or become a mentor today.
Resources for nonprofits to engage the people they serve in voting, elections, and advocacy.
View upcoming elections, request an absentee ballot, update your voter information, register to vote, and more.
This toolkit is designed to prepare ordinary people to successfully advocate for public policies that benefit young children and their families.
Enter your address to find your senators and representatives in the United State Congress.
Find your representatives, view current issues on the floor, find committee schedules, and more.
An overview of Wisconsin's budget process and how you can participate.
Overview and best practices of Wisconsin's lobbying rules and restrictions.
Understand Wisconsin’s legislative process and how you as a private citizen can participate in the process of shaping laws.
This cheat sheet is a handy guide to the types of materials available for purchase, vendors, and required documents.
An overview of all things YoungStar Micro-Grant.
ACH payments are electronic payments made through the Automated Clearing House network, a secure system for clearing electronic payments between banks. ACH can help you receive your reimbursement faster.
T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood WISCONSIN provides higher education scholarships to professionals who work in regulated early childhood and school age care settings.
There are some purchases that micro-grant staff are not able to make on your behalf, including costs for services, training, most accreditation fees, subscriptions, memberships, etc. For these items, you should make the initial purchase and submit documentation to receive reimbursement
These art materials do not count as "consumables" in your micro-grant, so you can build your art center by spending as much of your micro-grant on them as you wish.
A list a ways you can creatively use your micro-grant to improve quality in your child care program.
Find answers to the most frequently asked questions about the YoungStar micro-grants program.
Micro-grant purchases made through these vendors can receive discounted prices.
This meal service approach can help early care and education programs prevent childhood obesity and support children in developmentally appropriate mealtime experiences.
CACFP is a federally-funded program that can provide licensed or certified child care providers with financial reimbursement for serving nutritious meals and snacks to kids in their care.
A publication outlining the national health and safety performance standards guidelines for early care and education programs.
An overview of potential hazards on playgrounds and recommended safety precautions for child care providers.
This nonprofit organization is dedicated to protecting children through product safety, recommending safe usage, and tracking product recalls.
Our Pinterest page has numerous boards with ideas for developmentally appropriate classroom materials, activities, and much more!
Children want to touch everything -- this guide can help parents and educators avoid keeping plants that can cause problems if eaten, or after skin or eye contact.
The Child Care Purchasing Alliance (CCPA) helps nonprofits and child care centers save time and money when purchasing the products and services you use most, including insurance.
Explore DCF's robust YoungStar webpage, including overview information, contracts, testimonials, and more.
Get in touch with the agency responsible for YoungStar services in your area.
YoungStar renewal and first-time contracts.
Tom Copeland is an expert on family child care business practices, including tax returns, marketing, contracts and policies, insurance, managing finances, and retirement planning.
An overview of small business loans available for child care providers.
The Wisconsin Department of Revenue website.
The Tool Kit is intended to be used as a desk top organizer and filing system to store business records for a family child care provider.
This slideshow explains how and why you should create an effective budget for your child care business.
Information for providers looking to earn the YoungStar point of creating and following a budget and completing timely and accurate tax records.
An explanation of how rates, enrollment, and fee collection create the "Iron Triangle" of sound financial policy in early childhood programs.
A look at how to balance quality and finances through business metrics, including a discussion of why metrics matter, what metrics should be tracked, and how these data can be used.
Examining cost modeling as a method of calculating likely cost of providing early care and education services, compared with revenues.
A description of the core body of knowledge, skills, values, and dispositions early childhood educators must demonstrate to effectively promote the development, learning, and well-being of all young children.
A publication reflecting the consensus of how to advance a unified, diverse, equitable, and effective early childhood education profession.
Information on legal obligations of employers around worker's compensation, and information for filing employees.
Resources for employers, including information on labor standards, work hours, overtime FAQs, breaks, fair employment, and more.
Review Wisconsin's employment laws, including equal rights, worker's compensation, wages, disability, and more.
A resource to help parents and educators think creatively about getting children involved in gardening and active in nature.
Official nutrition recommendations from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
A guide to recommended foods and meal positions for children by age.
A guide to meal planning for children and providing proper nutrition, particularly in early care and education settings.
Bright by Text sends free text messages with easy, practical tips and activities targeted to your child’s age to support development, language and early literacy, health and safety, behavior, and more.
With help from your Sesame Street friends, find fun-filled activities that add physical activity into everyday moments -- hopping on the sidewalk, jumping in puddles, dancing to music, and more.
Text4Baby is a free mobile text messaging service that provides moms-to-be, new moms and family members with information to help them care for themselves and their baby.
Daily physical activity recommendations and ideas to get children moving and healthy.
A website from UW dedicated to helping children grow up healthy, from newborn to teen.
To view this resource, log in as an SFTA MemberHelpful tips sheets on nurturing children's social and emotional intelligence, including targeted support around biting, routines, and much more.
This free and confidential screening tool will help you see if your child’s developmental progress is on time and alert you to any potential concerns that you can talk over with your health care provider.
Children reach milestones in how they play, learn, speak, act, and move. See the developmental milestones children should reach from 2 months to 5 years.
ZERO TO THREE offers a wide variety of resources that help parents and caretakers understand and meet the needs of their babies and toddlers.
Select your child's age or your family's needs to find helpful resources and newsletters.
Find activities, games, and tips that help teach your child to read and build literacy.
Learn about Vroom, a free app created by early childhood experts that provides tips and reminders to help parents have fun, brain building interactions with their children.
The Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standards (WMELS) training specifies developmental expectations for children from birth through first grade.
Find tips, resources, and programs to support fathers.
Learn about and connect with the many evidence-based parenting programs offered throughout Wisconsin.
With ACCESS, you can apply for and manage your state of Wisconsin benefits and programs in one place, at any time.
A 211 search can connect you with thousands of nonprofit and government services in your area.
This county-by-county directory provides general information about programs and services in Wisconsin that offer assistance to children and pregnant women.
Find the Home Visiting program that's right for you family with this interactive spreadsheet that lets you filter by program type, county, and size.
Learn about the six types of Home Visiting programs offered throughout Wisconsin to see which is right for your family.
Learn more about the many benefits of Home Visiting programs and how they could help your children and family.
Understanding how to build upon your family’s strengths in five essential areas can help you feel more confident, less stressed, and better connected to your children.
Be Strong Families offers cafes, trainings, workshops, and more to support parents.
Get tips on how to find high quality child care in Wisconsin from CCR&R child care referral specialists.
Learn how to understand YoungStar quality ratings and what is measured with each Star rating.
The Wisconsin Shares Child Care Subsidy Program supports families by funding a portion of the cost of child care while the parents are working or participating in an approved activity.
Conduct a name-based search of your child care provider in Wisconsin's Circuit Court records.
Search for YoungStar-rated child care providers, learn what the ratings mean, and find YoungStar FAQs on DCF's YoungStar for Parents webpages.
A handy checklist to help parents identify high quality child care programs.
WFCCA is a statewide organization of Family Child Care providers and their supporters.
Search commercial and industrial sites/buildings available throughout Wisconsin.
YoungStar's requirements for what must be included in your group center's policy in order to earn a 4 or 5 Star rating.
Outlines the required and recommended items that should be included in your group child care program's policy document.
Helpful guidance concerning what rooms, sizes, outdoor spaces, and more to look for in a prospective group child care location.
Entry-level trainings required for group child care directors and teachers.
The checklist used to score family centers seeking a child care license.
The checklist used to score group centers seeking a child care license.
A free library of sample forms for child care providers, including policies, incident reports, enrollment forms, background checklists, and more.
Free copies of Wisconsin's licensing rules and commentary manuals are available on DCF's website.
FAQs about requirements, trainings, inspections, and materials needed to become a family child care provider.
A step-by-step guide to obtaining a group child care license in Wisconsin.
A step-by-step guide to obtaining a family child care license in Wisconsin.
Completing this form is the first step toward becoming a certified/licensed child care provider.
All individuals providing certified or licensed child care in Wisconsin must completed a background check process.
Certain entry-level courses are required to become a licensed family provider, assistant group teacher, or lead group teacher.
This short guide introduces when care should become regulated and gives an overview of requirements to become certified or licensed.
The Wisconsin Department of Children and Families sends regular email updates with information and resources for child care providers.
A step-by-step guide to starting a licensed Family or Group child care program in Wisconsin.
