Do you qualify for Wisconsin Shares help with child care costs? Here's how to find out, and apply

Wisconsin Shares, a subsidy program that assists families statewide with child care costs, has been in the news a lot recently.

With recent changes to the program,

are estimated to qualify for Shares, and those who use the program may receive more financial help.

But what exactly is Wisconsin Shares, and what does your family need to know? Here are the basics:

What is Wisconsin Shares?

Wisconsin Shares helps qualifying families by paying a portion of their monthly child care costs. It is not meant to cover the full price of child care, said Gina Paige, the communications director for Wisconsin’s Department of Children and Families, the agency responsible for administering the program.

In some circumstances, it can also help with registration fees.

Wisconsin Shares is primarily funded by two federal sources: the Child Care and Development Fund and the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Block grant.

How does Wisconsin Shares work?

Participants in Wisconsin Shares receive monthly subsidy payments via an electronic benefit transfer card. Families can only use this EBT card to pay for child care at their authorized provider.

Families using Wisconsin Shares are responsible for paying the difference between what their provider charges and what they receive on their EBT card.

In cases where the program assists with registration fees, those funds are also loaded onto the card. Families are responsible for paying the difference between what the providers charge in registration fees and the assistance they receive through Shares.

Does my family qualify for Wisconsin Shares?

To qualify for Wisconsin Shares, a family must:

• Live in Wisconsin and have a child younger than 13, or a child with a disability who is younger than 19. The children must be United States citizens or qualifying immigrants.
• Have parents/guardians participating in an approved activity, such as work or school
• In the vast majority of cases, families must have a monthly gross income at or below 200% of the federal poverty level for their family size. Families can stay in the program if their income rises above this threshold up until their income reaches 85% of the state median income.

Do all child care programs accept Wisconsin Shares?

No.

Regulated child care providers must participate in YoungStar, the state’s quality child care rating system, and have at least a 2-star rating to participate in Wisconsin Shares, according to DCF. However, just because a program meets these qualifications does not mean they necessarily accept Wisconsin Shares payments. Check with your child care provider to see if they participate in the program.

How do I apply for Wisconsin Shares?

Families can apply for Wisconsin Shares using ACCESS, Wisconsin’s online application tool. They may also apply in person or via phone with their local Income Maintenance Agency. If they are deemed eligible, they will receive a notice of eligibility.

Then, they will need to choose a provider who accepts Shares and submit the provider’s name, address and other information about child care needs to their local agency.

Families in Milwaukee County should contact the Milwaukee Early Care Administration. Those with an ACCESS account can schedule an appointment to complete this step via the online MyWIChildCare Parent Portal.

Once that information is approved, families will receive an authorization notice.

DCF provides a detailed step-by-step guide to the process online at bit.ly/applyWisShares.

How do I know what my subsidy payment will be?

A lot goes into calculating how much assistance families can receive per child, including whether they are subject to a copayment.

The subsidy amount will be listed on the authorization notice.

To estimate your subsidy amount, use USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin’s step-by-step online guide, available at bit.ly/calculateWisShares.

Madison Lammert covers child care and early education across Wisconsin as a Report for America corps member based at The Appleton Post-Crescent. To contact her, email mlammert@gannett.com or call 920-993-7108. Please consider supporting journalism that informs our democracy with a tax-deductible gift to Report for America by visiting postcrescent.com/RFA