Chapter 48

48.576(2) (2) Inspections. The department shall inquire into the methods of treatment, instruction, government, and management of children placed in shelter care facilities; the conduct of the trustees, managers, directors, superintendents, and other officers and employees of those facilities; the condition of the buildings, grounds, and all other property pertaining to those facilities; and all other matters pertaining to the usefulness and management of those facilities; and recommend to the officers in charge such changes and additional provisions as the department considers proper.

48.576(3) (3) Frequency of inspections. The department shall inspect and investigate each shelter care facility at least annually and, when directed by the governor, the department shall conduct a special investigation into a shelter care facility’s management, or anything connected with its management, and report to the governor the testimony taken, the facts found, and conclusions drawn.

48.576(4) (4) Enforcement by attorney general and district attorneys. Upon request of the department, the attorney general or the district attorney of the proper county shall aid in any investigation, inspection, hearing, or trial had under the provisions of this chapter relating to powers of the department, and shall institute and prosecute all necessary actions or proceedings for the enforcement of those provisions and for the punishment of violations of those provisions. The attorney general or district attorney so requested shall report or confer with the department regarding the request, within 30 days after the receipt of the request.

48.576(5) (5) Opportunity to inspect. All trustees, managers, directors, superintendents, and other officers or employees of a shelter care facility shall at all times afford to every member of the department and its agents unrestrained facility for inspection of and free access to all parts of the buildings and grounds and to all books and papers of the shelter care facility, and shall give, either verbally or in writing, such information as the department requires. Any person who violates this subsection shall forfeit not less than $10 nor more than $100.

48.576(6) (6) Testimonial power; expenses. The department or any person delegated by the department may administer oaths, take testimony, and cause depositions to be taken. All expenses of the investigations, including fees of officers and witnesses, shall be charged to the appropriation for the department.

48.576(7) (7) Statistics to be furnished. Whenever the department is required to collect statistics, the person or agency shall furnish the required statistics on request.

48.576 History History: 2007 a. 20.

48.578 48.578 Shelter care facilities; establishment, approval, inspection.

48.578(1) (1) The department shall fix reasonable standards and regulations for the design, construction, repair, and maintenance of shelter care facilities, with respect to their adequacy and fitness for the needs that they are to serve.

48.578(2) (2) The selection and purchase of the site, and the plans, specifications, and erection of buildings for shelter care facilities shall be subject to the review and approval of the department. Department review shall include review of the proposed program to be carried out by the shelter care facility.

48.578(3) (3) Before any shelter care facility is occupied, and at least annually thereafter, the department shall inspect the shelter care facility, with respect to safety, sanitation, adequacy, and fitness, and report to the authorities managing the shelter care facility any deficiency found, and order the necessary work to correct that deficiency. If within 6 months after the inspection the work is not commenced, or not completed within a reasonable period after commencement of the work, to the satisfaction of the department, the department shall suspend the allowance of state aid for, and prohibit the use of the shelter care facility, until the order is complied with.

48.578 History History: 2007 a. 20.

48.58 48.58 County children’s home in populous counties. Any existing county children’s home in counties with a population of 750,000 or more may do any of the following:

48.58(2) (2) Provide care for children in need of protection or services, and delinquent juveniles referred by the county department under s. 46.215, if the delinquent juveniles are placed in separate facilities;

48.58(3) (3) Provide temporary shelter care for children in need of protection or services and delinquent juveniles; provided that the delinquent juveniles are placed in separate facilities.

48.58(4) (4) Provide temporary shelter care for children taken into custody under s. 48.19 or 938.19.

48.58(5) (5) Provide temporary shelter care for children placed in the county children’s home under a voluntary agreement under s. 48.63 (1) (b).

48.58 History History: 1973 c. 90; 1975 c. 39, 189, 224; 1977 c. 29, 194, 271, 354, 418, 447, 449; 1979 c. 34 s. 2102 (20) (a); 1979 c. 300; 1981 c. 20; 1985 a. 176; 1995 a. 77; 1997 a. 27; 2013 a. 335; 2015 a. 172.

48.59 48.59 Examination and records.

48.59(1) (1) The county department or, in a county having a population of 750,000 or more, the department or an agency under contract with the department shall investigate the personal and family history and environment of any child transferred to its legal custody or placed under its supervision under s. 48.345 and of every expectant mother of an unborn child placed under its supervision under s. 48.347 and make any physical or mental examinations of the child or expectant mother considered necessary to determine the type of care necessary for the child or expectant mother. The county department, department or agency shall screen a child or expectant mother who is examined under this subsection to determine whether the child or expectant mother is in need of special treatment or care because of alcohol or other drug abuse, mental illness or severe emotional disturbance. The county department, department or agency shall keep a complete record of the information received from the court, the date of reception, all available data on the personal and family history of the child or expectant mother, the results of all tests and examinations given the child or expectant mother and a complete history of all placements of the child while in the legal custody or under the supervision of the county department, department or agency or of the expectant mother while under the supervision of the county department, department or agency.

48.59(2) (2) At the department’s request, the county department shall report to the department regarding children who are in the legal custody or under the supervision of the county department and expectant mothers of unborn children who are under the supervision of the county department.

48.59 History History: 1977 c. 449; 1985 a. 176; 1993 a. 385, 446, 491; 1995 a. 77; 1997 a. 27, 292; 2015 a. 172.

48.59 Annotation A county with a population under 500,000 [now 750,000] may, by ordinance under s. 19.21 (6) [now s. 19.21 (5)], provide for the destruction of obsolete case records maintained by county social services agencies. 70 Atty. Gen. 196.

subch. XIII of ch. 48 SUBCHAPTER XIII

CHILD WELFARE AGENCIES

48.599 48.599 Definitions. In this subchapter:

48.599(1g) (1g) “Child” means a person under 18 years of age. For purposes of the authority to provide care and maintenance for a child placed in a residential care center for children and youth operated by a child welfare agency and of counting the number of children for whom a child welfare agency may provide such care and maintenance, “child” also includes a person 18 years of age or over, but under 21 years of age, who is placed in a residential care center for children and youth operated by a child welfare agency under an order under s. 48.355, 48.357, 48.365, 938.355, 938.357, or 938.365 that terminates after the person attains 18 years of age, under a voluntary transition-to-independent-living agreement under s. 48.366 (3) or 938.366 (3), or under the placement and care responsibility of another state under 42 USC 675 (8) (B) (iv).

48.599(1r) (1r) “Physical restraint” includes all of the following:

48.599(1r)(a) (a) A locked room.

48.599(1r)(b) (b) A device or garment that interferes with a child’s freedom of movement and that the child is unable to remove easily.

48.599(1r)(c) (c) Restraint by a child welfare agency staff member of a child by use of physical force.

48.599(2) (2) “Psychotropic medication” means an antipsychotic, antidepressant, lithium carbonate or a tranquilizer.

48.599 History History: 1989 a. 336; 2015 a. 55.

48.60 48.60 Child welfare agencies licensed.

48.60(1) (1) No person may receive children, with or without transfer of legal custody, to provide care and maintenance for 75 days in any consecutive 12 months’ period for 4 or more such children at any one time unless that person obtains a license to operate a child welfare agency from the department. To obtain a license under this subsection to operate a child welfare agency, a person must meet the minimum requirements for a license established by the department under s. 48.67, meet the requirements specified in s. 48.685 and pay the applicable license fee under s. 48.615 (1) (a) or (b). A license issued under this subsection is valid until revoked or suspended, but shall be reviewed every 2 years as provided in s. 48.66 (5).

48.60(2) (2) This section does not include:

48.60(2)(a) (a) A relative or like-kin, guardian, or person delegated care and custody of a child under s. 48.979 who provides care and maintenance for such children.

48.60(2)(b) (b) A bona fide educational institution whose pupils, in the ordinary course of events, return annually to the homes of their parents or guardians for not less than 2 months of summer vacation.

48.60(2)(c) (c) A public agency.

48.60(2)(d) (d) A hospital or nursing home licensed, approved or supervised by the department.

48.60(2)(e) (e) A licensed foster home.

48.60(2)(f) (f) Institutions for mentally deficient children, which institutions have a full-time child population of not less than 150 children and which are subject to examination as provided in s. 46.03 (5).

48.60(2)(g) (g) A licensed group home.

48.60(3) (3) Before issuing or continuing any license to a child welfare agency under this section, the department shall review the need for the additional placement resources that would be made available by licensing or continuing the license of any child welfare agency after August 5, 1973, providing care authorized under s. 48.61 (3). Neither the department nor the department of corrections may make any placements to any child welfare agency where the departmental review required under this subsection has failed to indicate the need for the additional placement resources.

48.60(4) (4) 

48.60(4)(a) (a) In this subsection, “child with a disability” has the meaning given in s. 115.76 (5).

48.60(4)(b) (b) Notwithstanding ss. 121.78 (3) (a) and 121.79 (1) (a), a child welfare agency shall pay for the costs incurred by a school district in providing special education and related services to a child with a disability who has been placed with the child welfare agency under the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children under s. 48.988 or the Interstate Compact for the Placement of Children under s. 48.99.

48.60(5) (5) 

48.60(5)(a) (a) No later than 24 hours after the death of a child who resided in a residential care center for children and youth operated by a child welfare agency, the child welfare agency shall report the death to the department if one of the following applies:

48.60(5)(a)1. 1. There is reasonable cause to believe that the death was related to the use of physical restraint or a psychotropic medication for the child.

48.60(5)(a)3. 3. There is reasonable cause to believe that the death was a suicide.

48.60(5)(c) (c) No later than 14 days after the date of the death reported under par. (a), the department shall investigate the death.

48.60 History History: 1973 c. 90; 1975 c. 39; 1979 c. 300; 1989 a. 31, 107, 336; 1991 a. 39; 1993 a. 446; 1995 a. 27 ss. 2582, 9126 (19); 1995 a. 77; 1997 a. 27, 164; 1999 a. 9, 83; 2001 a. 59, 69; 2007 a. 20; 2009 a. 28, 339; 2011 a. 87; 2023 a. 119.

48.61 48.61 Powers and duties of child welfare agencies. A child welfare agency shall have authority:

48.61(1) (1) To accept legal or physical custody of children transferred to it by the court under s. 48.355.

48.61(2) (2) To contract with any parent or guardian or other person for the supervision or care and maintenance of any child.

48.61(3) (3) To provide appropriate care and training for children in its legal or physical custody and, if licensed to do so, to place children in licensed foster homes and licensed group homes as permitted under s. 48.63 (1) (a), in shelter care facilities as permitted under s. 48.63 (1) (b), and in the homes of guardians as permitted under s. 48.977 (2).

48.61(4) (4) To provide for the moral and religious training of children in its legal custody according to the religious belief of the child or the child’s parents.

48.61(5) (5) If licensed to do so, to accept guardianship of children when appointed by the court, and to place children under its guardianship for adoption.

48.61(6) (6) To provide services to the court under s. 48.07.

48.61(7) (7) To license foster homes in accordance with s. 48.75 if licensed to do so.

48.61 History History: 1977 c. 354 s. 101; 1977 c. 418, 449; 1979 c. 300; 1991 a. 316; 1993 a. 446; 1999 a. 83; 2005 a. 25; 2009 a. 28; 2013 a. 335.

48.61 Cross-reference Cross-reference: See also ch. DCF 54, Wis. adm. code.

48.615 48.615 Child welfare agency licensing fees.

48.615(1) (1) 

48.615(1)(a) (a) Except as provided in par. (e), before the department may issue a license under s. 48.60 (1) to a child welfare agency that regularly provides care and maintenance for children within the confines of a residential care center for children and youth operated by the child welfare agency, the child welfare agency must pay to the department a biennial fee of $121, plus a biennial fee of $18.15 per child, based on the number of children that the child welfare agency is licensed to serve.

48.615(1)(b) (b) Except as provided in par. (e), before the department may issue a license under s. 48.60 (1) to a child welfare agency that places children in licensed foster homes, licensed group homes, shelter care facilities approved under s. 938.22 (2) (c), and in the homes of guardians under s. 48.977 (2), the child welfare agency must pay to the department a biennial fee of $254.10.

48.615(1)(c) (c) A child welfare agency that wishes to continue a license issued under s. 48.60 (1) shall pay the applicable fee under par. (a) or (b) by the continuation date of the license.

48.615(1)(d) (d) A new child welfare agency shall pay the applicable fee under par. (a) or (b) no later than 30 days before the opening of the child welfare agency.

48.615(1)(e) (e) An individual who is eligible for a fee waiver under the veterans fee waiver program under s. 45.44 is not required to pay the fee under par. (a) or (b) for a license under s. 48.60 (1).

48.615(2) (2) A child welfare agency that wishes to continue a license issued under s. 48.60 (1) and that fails to pay the applicable fee under sub. (1) (a) or (b) by the continuation date of the license or a new child welfare agency that fails to pay the applicable fee under sub. (1) (a) or (b) by 30 days before the opening of the child welfare agency shall pay an additional fee of $5 per day for every day after the deadline that the agency fails to pay the fee.

48.615 History History: 1991 a. 39; 1993 a. 446; 1995 a. 27; 1997 a. 27; 2001 a. 59; 2005 a. 25; 2009 a. 28; 2011 a. 209; 2013 a. 335.

subch. XIV of ch. 48 SUBCHAPTER XIV

FOSTER HOMES

48.619 48.619 Definition. In this subchapter, “child” means a person under 18 years of age. For purposes of the authority to provide care and maintenance for a child and of counting the number of children for whom a foster home or group home may provide care and maintenance, “child” also includes a person 18 years of age or over, but under 21 years of age, who resides in the foster home or group home under an order under s. 48.355, 48.357, 48.365, 938.355, 938.357, or 938.365 that terminates after the person attains 18 years of age, under a voluntary transition-to-independent-living agreement under s. 48.366 (3) or 938.366 (3), or under the placement and care responsibility of another state under 42 USC 675 (8) (B) (iv).

48.619 History History: 2001 a. 69; 2009 a. 28; 2013 a. 334; 2015 a. 55.

48.62 48.62 Licensing of foster homes; rates.

48.62(1) (1) Any person who receives, with or without transfer of legal custody, 4 or fewer children or, if necessary to enable a sibling group to remain together, 6 or fewer children or, if the department promulgates rules permitting a different number of children, the number of children permitted under those rules, to provide care and maintenance for those children shall obtain a license to operate a foster home from the department, a county department or a licensed child welfare agency as provided in s. 48.75.

48.62(2) (2) A relative or like-kin, a guardian of a child, or a person delegated care and custody of a child under s. 48.979 who provides care and maintenance for the child is not required to obtain the license specified in this section. The department, county department, or licensed child welfare agency as provided in s. 48.75 may issue a license to operate a foster home to a relative or like-kin who has no duty of support under s. 49.90 (1) (a) and who requests a license to operate a foster home for a specific child who is either placed by court order or who is the subject of a voluntary placement agreement under s. 48.63. The department, a county department, or a licensed child welfare agency may, at the request of a guardian appointed under s. 48.977, 48.978, or 48.9795, ch. 54, 2017 stats., or ch. 880, 2003 stats., license the guardian’s home as a foster home for the guardian’s minor ward who is living in the home and who is placed in the home by court order. Relatives and like-kin with no duty of support and guardians appointed under s. 48.977, 48.978, or 48.9795, ch. 54, 2017 stats., or ch. 880, 2003 stats., who are licensed to operate foster homes are subject to the department’s licensing rules.

48.62(3) (3) When the department, a county department, or a child welfare agency issues a license to operate a foster home, the department, county department, or child welfare agency shall notify the school district in which the foster home is located that a foster home has been licensed in the school district.

48.62(4) (4) 

48.62(4)(a) (a) Monthly payments in foster care shall be provided according to the rates specified in this subsection. Beginning on January 1, 2024, the rates 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:

48.62(4)(a)1. 1. $441 for a child under 5 years of age.

48.62(4)(a)2. 2. $483 for a child 5 to 11 years of age.

48.62(4)(a)3. 3. $548 for a child 12 to 14 years of age.

48.62(4)(a)4. 4. $572 for a child 15 years of age or over.

48.62(4)(b) (b) In addition to the grants under par. (a) for basic maintenance, the department, county department, or licensed child welfare agency shall make supplemental payments for foster care to a foster home that is receiving an age-related rate under this subsection that are commensurate with the level of care that the foster home is certified to provide and the needs of the child who is placed in the foster home according to the rules promulgated by the department under sub. (8) (c).

48.62(6) (6) The department or a county department may recover an overpayment made under sub. (4) from a foster parent who continues to receive those payments by reducing the amount of the foster parent’s monthly payment. The department may by rule specify other methods for recovering those overpayments. A county department that recovers an overpayment under this subsection due to the efforts of its officers and employees may retain a portion of the amount recovered, as provided by the department by rule.

48.62(7) (7) In each federal fiscal year, the department shall ensure that there are no more than 2,200 children in foster care placements for more than 24 months, consistent with the best interests of each child. Services provided in connection with this requirement shall comply with the requirements under P.L. 96-272.