Chapter DCF 251

DCF 251.03(13) (13) “Group child care center” or “center” means a facility where a person for less than 24 hours a day provides care and supervision for 9 or more children who are not related to the provider.

DCF 251.03(13m) (13m) “Hazard” means a potential source of harm that can jeopardize the health, safety or well-being of children in care.

DCF 251.03(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 251.03(14g) (14g) “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 251.03(14r) (14r) “Inclement weather” means stormy or severe weather such as any of the following:

DCF 251.03(14r)(a) (a) Heavy rain.

DCF 251.03(14r)(b) (b) Temperatures above 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

DCF 251.03(14r)(c) (c) Wind chills of 0 degrees Fahrenheit or below for children age 2 and above.

DCF 251.03(14r)(d) (d) Wind chills of 20 degrees Fahrenheit or below for children under age 2.

DCF 251.03(15) (15) “Infant” means a child under one year of age.

DCF 251.03(16) (16) “Institution of higher education” means an educational institution which meets all of the following criteria except, in the case of a business school or technical institution, par. (c):

DCF 251.03(16)(a) (a) Admits as regular students only persons having a certificate of graduation from a school providing secondary education, or the recognized equivalent of such a certificate;

DCF 251.03(16)(b) (b) Is legally authorized to provide a program of education beyond secondary education;

DCF 251.03(16)(c) (c) Provides an education program for which it awards a bachelor’s degree or provides not less than a 2-year program which is acceptable for full credit toward that degree; and

DCF 251.03(16)(d) (d) Is accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency or association or, if not accredited, is an institution whose credits are accepted, on transfer, by not less than 3 institutions which are accredited, for credit on the same basis as if transferred from an institution that is accredited.

DCF 251.03(16m) (16m) “Licensed hours” means the authorized hours specified on the license certificate and letter of transmittal within which the center may provide child care services.

DCF 251.03(17) (17) “Licensee” means the corporation, individual, partnership, limited liability company, or non-incorporated association or cooperative that has legal and financial responsibility for the operation of a child care center and for meeting the requirements of this chapter.

DCF 251.03(18) (18) “Licensing representative” means a department employee responsible for licensing group child care centers.

DCF 251.03(19) (19) “Night care” means any care that is offered by a licensed group child care center between 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m.

DCF 251.03(20) (20) “Parent” means either “parent” as defined in s. 48.02 (13), Stats., or “guardian” as defined in s. 48.02 (8), Stats.

DCF 251.03(21) (21) “Parent cooperative” means a center organized by parents for their preschool children in which the parents have decision-making authority to establish and change policy, program and personnel practices.

DCF 251.03(22) (22) “Parochial or private school” means an educational program which meets all the criteria specified under s. 118.165 (1), Stats., or as determined by the superintendent of public instruction under s. 118.167, Stats.

DCF 251.03(22g) (22g) “Part day center” means a center where a defined group of children attend for a specified period of time that is less than 5 consecutive hours in length.

DCF 251.03(22r) (22r) “Physical Restraint” means the use of physical force to restrict the free movement of all or part of a child’s body.

DCF 251.03(23) (23) “Physician” has the meaning prescribed in s. 448.01 (5), Stats.

DCF 251.03(24) (24) “Physician assistant” has the meaning prescribed in s. 448.971 (2), Stats.

DCF 251.03(25) (25) “Premises” means the tract of land on which a center is located, including all buildings and structures on that land.

DCF 251.03(25m) (25m) “Program aide” means a person who works under the supervision of a child care teacher and assists with daily activities and maintenance of the program, such as preparing and participating in program activities and cleaning the premises.

DCF 251.03(26) (26) “Regularly assigned child care worker” means a child care worker who is assigned to a specific group of children in a self-contained room or area.

DCF 251.03(26m) (26m) “Representative of the department” means a department employee or a representative from an agency the department contracts with to provide pre-licensing services.

DCF 251.03(26r) (26r) “School-age administrator” means a person who is responsible for the overall organizational management, including personnel, finance, physical plant, and the implementation of policies and procedures for a school-age program.

DCF 251.03(27) (27) “School-age child” means a child 5 years of age or older who is enrolled in a public school or a parochial or other private school.

DCF 251.03(27c) (27c) “School-age director” means a person who is responsible for the management and implementation of the program for the school-age children; supervision of the staff, including recruitment, hiring, and training; oversight for regulatory compliance; and development of policies and procedures.

DCF 251.03(27g) (27g) “School-age group leader” means a person who works under the supervision of a school-age program leader and helps plan, implement, and supervise daily activities for a designated group of school-age children.

DCF 251.03(27n) (27n) “School-age program” means a program in a group child care center that serves only school-age children before and after school, on non-school days, and during the summer.

DCF 251.03(27r) (27r) “School-age program aide” means a person who works under the direct supervision of a school-age program leader and assists with daily activities and maintenance of the school-age program, such as preparing and participating in program activities and cleaning the premises.

DCF 251.03(27w) (27w) “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.

DCF 251.03(28) (28) “Self-contained room or area” means a room separated by permanent walls or an area separated by permanent or portable partitions or dividers acting as a visual barrier for children which is reserved for a group of children and contains the indoor equipment and furnishings required for that group.

DCF 251.03(28m) (28m) “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 251.03(29) (29) “Sleeping bag” means a padded fabric bag that is closed or capable of being closed on three sides.

DCF 251.03(29g) (29g) “Substitute” means a person who replaces a regularly scheduled person and meets the requirements under s. DCF 251.05 (3) (i).

DCF 251.03(29m) (29m) “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 251.03(30) (30) “Supervision of children” means guidance of the behavior and activities of children for their health, safety and well-being by child care workers who are within sight and sound of the children.

DCF 251.03(31) (31) “Supervision of staff” means guidance of the behavior and activities of center employees which may include provision of instructions to carry out activities for limited periods of time out of sight or hearing of the supervisor.

DCF 251.03(32) (32) “Toddler” means a child at least one year of age but less than 2 years of age.

DCF 251.03(33) (33) “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 services centers for disease control and adopted by the U.S. occupational safety and health administration (OSHA) as 29 CFR 1910.1030.

DCF 251.03 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 251.03(34) (34) “Volunteer” means a person who is not paid, but agrees to give time, with or without reimbursement for expenses, to transport children attending a group child care center or to work in a group child care center.

DCF 251.03(35) (35) “Wading pool” means a shallow pool, with sides 15 inches or less in height, capable of being dumped to change water and used primarily for small children.

DCF 251.03 History History: Cr. Register, January, 1997, No. 493, eff. 8-1-97; correction in (22) made under s. 13.93 (2m) (b) 7., Stats.; CR 03-052: am. (1), (3), (6), (13), (17), (18), (19), (33) and (34), cr. (3m), (4m), (8m), (10m), (11g), (11r), (14g), (14r), (18m), (22g), (22r), (26m), (29m) and (35), r. (7) Register December 2004 No. 588, eff. 3-1-05; corrections in (2), (3m), (4), (5), (9), (10), (11g) (b), (14) and (18m) made under s. 13.92 (4) (b) 6. and 7., Stats., Register November 2008 No. 635; CR 07-102: cr. (4g), (8r), (11g) (d), (13m), (28m) and (29g), am. (11), (11g) (intro.), (14r) (b) to (d) and (34) Register December 2008 No. 636, eff. 1-1-09; correction in (29g) made under s. 13.92 (4) (b) 7., Stats., Register December 2008 No. 636; 2015 Wis. Act 132: am. (2), (4), (5) Register February 2016 No. 722, eff. 3-1-16; corrections in (2) and (11g) (b) made under s. 13.92 (4) (b) 7., Stats., Register September 2016 No. 729; EmR1918: emerg. am. (2), cr. (2m), r. (3m), am. (4), cr. (4r), am. (5), cr. (10g), r. and recr. (10m), am. (11g) (b), (14g), cr. (16m), am. (17), r. (18m), am. (19), (26), (29g), eff. 1-30-19; CR 19-089: am. (2), cr. (2m), r. (3m), am. (4), cr. (4r), am. (5), cr. (10g), r. and recr. (10m), am. (11g) (b), (14g), cr. (16m), am. (17), r. (18m), am. (19), (26), (29g) Register March 2020 No. 771, eff. 4-1-20; CR 20-003: renum. (14) to (10s) and am. Register July 2020 No. 775, eff. 8-1-20; CR 21-100: renum. (1) to (1r), cr. (1g), am. (6), cr. (8g), r. (8m), cr. (14), am. (14g), cr. (25m), (26r), (27c) to (27w) Register February 2023 No. 806, eff. 3-1-23; correction in (24) made under s. 13.92 (4) (b) 7., Stats., Register February 2023 No. 806.

DCF 251.04 DCF 251.04 Operational requirements.

DCF 251.04(1) (1) Terms of a license.

DCF 251.04(1)(a) (a) The number of children in care at any one time may not exceed the licensed capacity of the center.

DCF 251.04(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.

DCF 251.04(1)(c) (c) The hours, days and months of a center’s operation may not exceed those specified in the license.

DCF 251.04(2) (2) Administration. A group child care center licensee shall do all of the following:

DCF 251.04(2)(a) (a) Comply with all laws governing the facility and its operation.

DCF 251.04 Note Note: Under the state public accommodation law s. 106.52 (3), Stats., federal law related to use of federal funding, and some local anti-discrimination ordinances, denying admission on the basis of race, disability, religion, or certain other characteristics may be illegal.

DCF 251.04(2)(b) (b) Comply with all requirements of this chapter.

DCF 251.04(2)(bm) (bm) Comply with all conditions placed on the license.

DCF 251.04(2)(c) (c) Ensure that all information provided to the department is current and accurate.

DCF 251.04(2)(d) (d) If residing in another state, designate in writing, as part of the application under s. DCF 251.11 (2) and (3), a Wisconsin resident who is responsible on behalf of the licensee for ensuring compliance with all requirements of this chapter.

DCF 251.04(2)(e) (e) Meet, upon request of the department, with a licensing representative on matters pertaining to the license.

DCF 251.04(2)(f) (f) Prior to receiving or continuing a license, complete all application forms and pay all fees and forfeitures due to the department.

DCF 251.04(2)(g) (g) Submit to the department a certificate of insurance that meets the following conditions:

DCF 251.04(2)(g)1. 1. The certificate of insurance shall have coverage dates for all of the following types of insurance:

DCF 251.04(2)(g)1.a. a. General liability insurance with limits of not less than $25,000 for each person and not less than $75,000 for each occurrence.

DCF 251.04(2)(g)1.b. b. Vehicle liability insurance with minimums not less than the amounts specified under s. 121.53, Stats., if transportation is provided by the center.

DCF 251.04(2)(g)1.c. c. Vehicle liability insurance for non-owned vehicles with minimums not less than the amounts specified under s. 121.53, Stats., if transportation is provided in vehicles that are not owned by the center and are not public transportation vehicles or chartered vehicles.

DCF 251.04(2)(g)2. 2. The certificate of insurance shall indicate that pets are included in the liability coverage if cats or dogs are permitted in areas of the center accessible to children during the hours of operation.

DCF 251.04(2)(h) (h) Develop, submit to the department, and implement written policies consistent with the requirements of this chapter on all of the following subjects:

DCF 251.04(2)(h)1. 1. Fee payments and refunds.

DCF 251.04(2)(h)2. 2. Personnel, including job descriptions, hours of work, lunch and break times, holidays, vacations, sick leaves, leaves of absence, probationary periods, performance evaluations, grievance procedures and the disciplinary process. The personnel policy shall contain a procedure that requires staff to notify the licensee and the licensee to notify the department as soon as possible but no later than the next business day when any of the following occurs:

DCF 251.04(2)(h)2.a. a. The employee has been convicted of a crime.

DCF 251.04(2)(h)2.b. b. The employee has been or is being investigated by any governmental agency for any other act, offense, or omission, including an investigation related to the abuse or neglect or threat of abuse or neglect, to a child or other client, or an investigation related to misappropriation of a client’s property.

DCF 251.04(2)(h)2.c. c. The employee has a substantiated governmental finding against them for abuse or neglect of a child or adult or for misappropriation of a client’s property.

DCF 251.04(2)(h)2.d. d. When a professional license held by an employee has been denied, revoked, restricted or otherwise limited.

DCF 251.04(2)(h)3. 3. Discharge of enrolled children.

DCF 251.04(2)(h)4. 4. Admission.

DCF 251.04(2)(h)5. 5. Health care. If the center is licensed to care for children under one year of age, the policies shall include procedures to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome.

DCF 251.04(2)(h)6. 6. Education.

DCF 251.04(2)(h)7. 7. Nutrition, including accommodating children with food allergies.

DCF 251.04(2)(h)8. 8. Child guidance, including appropriate ways to manage crying, fussing, or distraught children.

DCF 251.04(2)(h)9. 9. Emergency plans to be followed in the event of a fire, tornado, missing child, or other emergency.

DCF 251.04(2)(h)10. 10. Continuing education for staff.

DCF 251.04(2)(h)11. 11. Orientation of new staff and volunteers.

DCF 251.04(2)(h)12. 12. Transportation, if the center will transport children either on field trips or on a regular schedule. The policy shall include a procedure to ensure that no child is left unattended in a vehicle.

DCF 251.04(2)(j) (j) Ensure that all published statements such as brochures and publicity releases are accurate.

DCF 251.04(2)(k) (k) Post the child care license near the entrance or in some other conspicuous area of the center that is visible to the public.