(a) Staffing and equipment for specialty services with high regional demand.
(b) Capital upgrades that expand access to intensive or specialty care.
(c) Support for complex patient discharge planning and community care coordination.
(d) Programs that improve outcomes for patients with dementia, chronic disease, or behavioral health conditions.
(4) Reporting requirements. Each hospital receiving a payment under this section shall submit an annual report to the department that includes a summary of how funds were used.
15,148Section 148. 46.68 of the statutes is created to read: 46.68 Trauma care hospital supplement grants. From the appropriation under s. 20.435 (1) (bf), the department shall award grants to support hospitals that satisfy the criteria established by the American College of Surgeons for classification as a Level I adult trauma center.
15,149Section 149. 48.526 (7) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read: 48.526 (7) Allocations of funds. (intro.) Within the limits of the availability of the appropriations under s. 20.437 (1) (cj), (o), and (q), the department shall allocate funds for community youth and family aids for the period beginning on July 1, 2021, and ending on June 30, 2023 and, for the 2023 fiscal biennium, and for the 2025 fiscal biennium, as provided in this subsection to county departments under ss. 46.215, 46.22, and 46.23 as follows:
15,150Section 150. 48.526 (7) (a) of the statutes is amended to read: 48.526 (7) (a) For community youth and family aids under this section, amounts not to exceed $47,740,750 for the last 6 months of 2023 2025, $95,481,500 for 2024 2026, and $47,740,750 for the first 6 months of 2025 2027.
15,151Section 151. 48.526 (7) (b) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read: 48.526 (7) (b) (intro.) Of the amounts specified in par. (a), the department shall allocate $2,000,000 for the last 6 months of 2023 2025, $4,000,000 for 2024 2026, and $2,000,000 for the first 6 months of 2025 2027 to counties based on each of the following factors weighted equally:
15,152Section 152. 48.526 (7) (bm) of the statutes is amended to read: 48.526 (7) (bm) Of the amounts specified in par. (a), the department shall allocate $6,250,000 for the last 6 months of 2023 2025, $12,500,000 for 2024 2026, and $6,250,000 for the first 6 months of 2025 2027 to counties based on each county’s proportion of the number of juveniles statewide who are placed in a juvenile correctional facility or a secured residential care center for children and youth during the most recent 3-year period for which that information is available.
15,153Section 153. 48.526 (7) (c) of the statutes is amended to read: 48.526 (7) (c) Of the amounts specified in par. (a), the department shall allocate $1,053,200 for the last 6 months of 2023 2025, $2,106,500 for 2024 2026, and $1,053,300 for the first 6 months of 2025 2027 to counties based on each of the factors specified in par. (b) 1. to 3. weighted equally, except that no county may receive an allocation under this paragraph that is less than 93 percent nor more than 115 percent of the amount that the county would have received under this paragraph if the allocation had been distributed only on the basis of the factor specified in par. (b) 3.
15,154Section 154. 48.526 (7) (e) of the statutes is amended to read: 48.526 (7) (e) For emergencies related to community youth and family aids under this section, amounts not to exceed $125,000 for the last 6 months of 2023 2025, $250,000 for 2024 2026, and $125,000 for the first 6 months of 2025 2027. A county is eligible for payments under this paragraph only if it has a population of not more than 45,000.
15,155Section 155. 48.526 (7) (h) of the statutes is amended to read: 48.526 (7) (h) For counties that are purchasing community supervision services under s. 938.533 (2), $1,062,400 in the last 6 months of 2023 2025, $2,124,800 in 2024 2026, and $1,062,400 in the first 6 months of 2025 2027 for the provision of community supervision services for juveniles from that county. In distributing funds to counties under this paragraph, the department shall distribute to each county the full amount of the charges for the services purchased by that county, except that if the amounts available under this paragraph are insufficient to distribute that full amount, the department shall distribute those available amounts to each county that purchases community supervision services based on the ratio that the charges to that county for those services bear to the total charges to all counties that purchase those services.
15,156Section 156. 48.526 (8) of the statutes is amended to read: 48.526 (8) Alcohol and other drug abuse treatment. From the amount of the allocations specified in sub. (7) (a), the department shall allocate $666,700 in the last 6 months of 2023 2025, $1,333,400 in 2024 2026, and $666,700 in the first 6 months of 2025 2027 for alcohol and other drug abuse treatment programs.
15,157Section 157. 48.563 (2) of the statutes is amended to read: 48.563 (2) County allocation. For children and family services under s. 48.569 (1) (d), the department shall distribute not more than $101,154,200 in fiscal year 2021-22 and $101,162,800 in fiscal year 2022-23. In fiscal year 2023-24, the department shall distribute $101,551,400. In fiscal year 2024-25, the department shall distribute $101,939,600. In fiscal year 2025-26, the department shall distribute $102,178,600. In fiscal year 2026-27, the department shall distribute $102,417,600.
15,158Section 158. 48.57 (3m) (am) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read: 48.57 (3m) (am) (intro.) From the appropriations under s. 20.437 (2) (dz), (md), (me), and (s), the department shall reimburse counties having populations of less than 750,000 for payments made under this subsection and shall make payments under this subsection in a county having a population of 750,000 or more. Subject to par. (ap), a county department and, in a county having a population of 750,000 or more, the department shall make payments in the amount of $384 per month in the amount of $375 beginning on January 1, 2024 2026, to a kinship care provider who is providing care and maintenance for a child if all of the following conditions are met:
15,159Section 159. 48.57 (3n) (am) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read: 48.57 (3n) (am) (intro.) From the appropriations under s. 20.437 (2) (dz), (md), (me), and (s), the department shall reimburse counties having populations of less than 750,000 for payments made under this subsection and shall make payments under this subsection in a county having a population of 750,000 or more. Subject to par. (ap), a county department and, in a county having a population of 750,000 or more, the department shall make monthly payments for each child in the amount of $384 per month in the amount of $375 beginning on January 1, 2024 2026, to a long-term kinship care provider who is providing care and maintenance for that child if all of the following conditions are met:
15,160Section 160. 48.62 (4) (a) of the statutes is amended to read: 48.62 (4) (a) Monthly payments in foster care shall be provided according to the rates specified in this subsection. Beginning on January 1, 2024 2026, the rates are $384 for care and maintenance provided for a child of any age by a foster home that is certified to provide level one care, as defined in the rules promulgated under sub. (8) (a), are $375 and for care and maintenance provided by a foster home that is certified to provide care at a level of care that is higher than level one care, the rates are all of the following:
1. $441 for For a child under 5 years of age, $452.
2. $483 for For a child 5 to 11 years of age, $495.
3. $548 for For a child 12 to 14 years of age, $562.
4. $572 for For a child 15 years of age or over, $586.
15,161Section 161. 48.65 (3) (a) of the statutes is amended to read: 48.65 (3) (a) Except as provided in par. (c), before the department may issue a license under sub. (1) to a child care center that provides care and supervision for 4 to 8 children or 4 to 12 children, the child care center must pay to the department a biennial fee of $60.50. Except as provided in par. (c), before the department may issue a license under sub. (1) to a child care center that provides care and supervision for 9 13 or more children, the child care center must pay to the department a biennial fee of $30.25, plus a biennial fee of $16.94 per child, based on the number of children that the child care center is licensed to serve. A child care center that wishes to continue a license issued under sub. (1) shall pay the applicable fee under this paragraph by the continuation date of the license. A new child care center shall pay the applicable fee under this paragraph no later than 30 days before the opening of the child care center.
15,162Section 162. 48.65 (4) of the statutes is created to read: 48.65 (4) (a) Definitions. In this subsection:
1. “Assistant child care teacher” means a child care worker who works under the supervision of a child care teacher.
2. “Child care teacher” means a child care worker who plans, implements, and supervises the daily activities for a designated group of children at a child care center licensed under this section and who meets the qualifications under s. DCF 251.05 (3) (f), Wis. Adm. Code.
3. “Full-day center” means a child care center licensed under this section that accepts children for 5 or more consecutive hours.
4. “School-age program” means a program in a child care center licensed under this section that serves only school-age children before and after school, on days on which there is no school, and during the summer break.
5. “School-age program leader” means a person who plans, implements, and supervises the daily activities for a designated group of school-age children, communicates with families, works with the community, and coordinates staff in a school-age program at a child care center licensed under this section.
(b) Requirements for assistant child care teachers. A child care center licensed under this section may hire an individual to be an assistant child care teacher if the individual meets all of the following requirements:
1. The individual is at least 16 years old.
2. The individual has satisfactorily completed at least one of the following within 6 months after assuming the position:
a. Two credits in early childhood education or its equivalent.
b. One non-credit, department-approved course in early childhood education.
c. An assistant child care teacher training program approved by the department of public instruction.
(c) Sole supervision by assistant child care teachers. An assistant child care teacher who has completed the training required under par. (b) 2. and is at least 18 years old may provide sole supervision to a group of children in the following instances and for the following amounts of time:
1. In a full-day center, if there is a child care teacher on the premises, for opening and closing hours, not to exceed the first 2 hours and the last 2 hours of center operation, and during the center’s designated naptime, not to exceed 2 hours.
2. In a school-age program, if there is a school-age program leader or child care teacher on the premises, for no more than 45 minutes.
15,163Section 163. 48.67 of the statutes is renumbered 48.67 (1m), and 48.67 (1m) (a) and (d) 1. (intro.), 2. and 3., as renumbered, are amended to read: 48.67 (1m) (a) That all child care center licensees, and all employees and volunteers of a child care center, who provide care and supervision for children under one year of age receive, before the date on which the license is issued or the employment or volunteer work commences, whichever is applicable, training in the most current medically accepted methods of preventing sudden infant death syndrome. The rules shall provide that any training in those methods that a licensee has obtained in connection with military service, as defined in s. 111.32 (12g), counts toward satisfying the training requirement under this subsection paragraph if the licensee demonstrates to the satisfaction of the department that the training obtained in that connection is substantially equivalent to the training required under this subsection paragraph.
(d) 1. (intro.) That all foster parents successfully complete training in the care and support needs of children who are placed in foster care that has been approved by the department. The training shall be completed on an ongoing basis, as determined by the department. The department shall promulgate rules prescribing the training that is required under this subsection paragraph and shall monitor compliance with this subsection paragraph according to those rules. The training shall include training in all of the following:
2. The training under par. (a) subd. 1. shall be available to a kinship care provider, as defined in s. 48.40 (1m), upon request of the kinship care provider.
3. For a foster parent receiving an initial license, the training under par. (a) subd. 1. shall be completed before the first child is placed with the foster parent.
15,164Section 164. 48.67 (1b) of the statutes is created to read: 48.67 (1b) In this section, “provider” means an individual who provides care and supervision for children in a child care center licensed under s. 48.65 (1).
15,165Section 165. 48.67 (2m) of the statutes is created to read: 48.67 (2m) (a) In the rules promulgated under sub. (1m), the department shall establish a category of child care centers licensed under s. 48.65 (1) that provide care and supervision for 4 to 12 children.
(b) The department shall regulate a child care center described in par. (a) in the same way that it regulates a child care center that is licensed to provide care and supervision for 4 to 8 children, including the maximum number of children per provider, except for all of the following:
1. The department shall prohibit a child care center described in par. (a) from authorizing more than 2 providers to provide care and supervision for children at one time.
2. The department may regulate a child care center described in par. (a) differently than a child care center that provides care and supervision for 4 to 8 children to the extent necessary to safely accommodate a larger group of children.
15,166Section 166. 49.132 of the statutes is created to read: 49.132 Community-based option for elementary school readiness. (1) Definitions. In this section:
(a) “Child care provider” means a provider licensed under s. 48.65 or certified under s. 48.651.
(b) “Elementary school readiness program” means an instructional program that provides 4-year-old children with the social and cognitive skills to successfully transition to 5-year-old kindergarten in an elementary school setting.
(c) “School year” has the meaning given in s. 115.001 (13).
(2) Program. The department shall establish a community-based option for an elementary school readiness program under which a participating child care provider offers an elementary school readiness program to eligible children during the school year and receives funding from the department for each eligible child participating in the program.
(3) Eligibility. (a) Child care providers. A child care provider is eligible to participate in the program under this section if the child care provider satisfies all of the following:
1. Is in compliance with all legal, financial, and regulatory requirements imposed by law or by department rule.
2. Demonstrates to the department that it will annually provide at least 437 hours of direct child instruction in elementary school readiness to children participating in the program.
3. Demonstrates to the department that, for purposes of the program under this section, it uses a curriculum that meets the department of public instruction’s model early learning standards.
4. By no later than February 1 of the preceding school year, notifies the department of its intent to participate in the elementary school readiness program under this section according to application requirements established by the department.
5. Does not have a contract with a school district to provide a 4-year-old kindergarten for the school year in which the child care provider intends to participate in the program.
(b) Children. A child is eligible to participate in the program under this section if all of the following apply:
1. The child is 4 years old on or before September 1 in the school year that the child proposes to participate in the program.
2. The child’s parent or guardian submits an application to participate in the program under this section, on a form prepared by the department, to a participating child care provider.
3. A participating child care provider has accepted the child’s application to attend the elementary school readiness program offered by the child care provider under this section.
(4) Participating child care providers; annual notice. Annually, by February 15, the department shall post on its website a list of all child care providers that have submitted a notice of intent to participate in the program under this section in the following school year. The department shall include all of the following for each participating child care provider:
(a) The name of the child care provider.
(b) The address at which the program under this section will be provided.
(c) The name of and contact information for the provider or an employee of the provider who can answer questions about a child participating in the program under this section at the child care provider.
(d) The number of spaces available with the child care provider for children participating in the program under this section.
(5) Funding. (a) 1. Except as provided in subd. 2., from the appropriation under s. 20.437 (2) (cr), for each child participating in an elementary school readiness program offered by a child care provider under this section, the department shall pay to the child care provider participating in the program under this section 0.6 times the sum of the revenue ceiling, as defined in s. 121.905 (1), for the current school year and the per pupil amount under s. 115.437 (2) (a) for the current school year.
2. If the appropriation under s. 20.437 (2) (cr) is insufficient to pay the full amount of costs under subd. 1., the department shall prorate payments among the participating child care providers under this section.
(b) The department shall pay 25 percent of the total amount under par. (a) in September, 25 percent in November, 25 percent in February, and 25 percent in May. Each installment may consist of a single check for all children participating in the elementary school readiness program offered by the child care provider.
