September 8, 2023 - Introduced by Senators Ballweg, Stroebel and Felzkowski, cosponsored by Representatives Goeben, Binsfeld, Brandtjen, Edming, Green, Gundrum, Gustafson, Hurd, Magnafici, Maxey, Murphy, O’Connor, Penterman, Petersen, Petryk, Plumer, Rozar, Schmidt, Sortwell, Steffen, Summerfield, Swearingen, VanderMeer and Wichgers. Referred to Committee on Mental Health, Substance Abuse Prevention, Children and Families.
SB424,,22An Act relating to: modifying administrative rules relating to assistant child care teachers. SB424,,33Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau Under current law, the Department of Children and Families regulates child care providers and is required to promulgate rules to carry out that function. Under rules promulgated by DCF, a person hired to be an assistant child care teacher must be at least 18 or 17 years old, depending on the qualifications the person meets. An assistant child care teacher or school-age group leader who is at least 18 years old and has completed the training required for the position may provide sole supervision to a group of school-age children for up to 45 minutes if there is a qualified school-age program leader or child care teacher on the premises, and an assistant child care teacher may provide sole supervision to a group of children in full-day centers for up to two hours during opening and closing hours and during the center’s designated naptime.
This bill modifies the DCF rules to lower the minimum age at which a person may become an assistant child care teacher or school-age group leader from 17 to 16 and to lower the minimum age at which an assistant child care teacher or school-age group leader may provide sole supervision to a group of children from 18 to 16. The bill also removes the restrictions that a supervising assistant child care teacher may provide sole supervision to a group of children in full-day centers only during opening and closing hours and during the center’s designated naptime and only for up to two hours and that a supervising school-age group leader or assistant child care teacher may provide sole supervision to a group of school-age children only for up to 45 minutes.
SB424,,44The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows: SB424,15Section 1. DCF 251.05 (3) (g) 2. a. of the administrative code is amended to read: SB424,,66DCF 251.05 (3) (g) 2. a. Be at least 18 16 years old and have satisfactorily completed 2 credits in early childhood education or its equivalent within 6 months after assuming the position. SB424,27Section 2. DCF 251.05 (3) (g) 2. b. of the administrative code is amended to read: SB424,,88DCF 251.05 (3) (g) 2. b. Be at least 18 16 years old and have satisfactorily completed one, non-credit department-approved course in early childhood education within 6 months after assuming the position. SB424,39Section 3. DCF 251.05 (3) (g) 2. c. of the administrative code is amended to read: SB424,,1010DCF 251.05 (3) (g) 2. c. Be at least 17 16 years of age and have satisfactorily completed an assistant child care teacher training program approved by the Wisconsin department of public instruction, 2 credits in early childhood education or its equivalent, or a noncredit department-approved course in early childhood education. SB424,411Section 4. DCF 251.055 (1) (c) of the administrative code is amended to read: SB424,,1212DCF 251.055 (1) (c) Assistant child care teachers who are at least 18 16 years of age and have completed the training required for the position may provide sole supervision to a group of children in full-day centers 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. SB424,513Section 5. DCF 251.055 (1) (i) of the administrative code is amended to read: SB424,,1414DCF 251.055 (1) (i) No person under 18 16 years of age shall be left in sole charge of a child. SB424,615Section 6. DCF 251.095 (2m) (d) of the administrative code is amended to read: SB424,,1616DCF 251.095 (2m) (d) Notwithstanding s. DCF 251.055 (1) (c), a school-age group leader who has completed the training required under s. DCF 251.094 (5) (c) 3. or an assistant child care teacher who has completed the training required under s. DCF 251.05 (3) (g) 2. and is age 18 16 or over may provide sole supervision for a group of school-age children for no more than 45 minutes if there is a qualified school-age program leader or child care teacher on the premises. SB424,717Section 7. Effective date. SB424,,1818(1) Notwithstanding s. 227.265, this act takes effect on the day after publication.
