Rules governing child welfare agencies, child care centers, foster homes, group homes, shelter care facilities, and county departments
Wis. Stat. § 48.67
in effect(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).
(1m) The department shall promulgate rules establishing minimum requirements for the issuance of licenses to, and establishing standards for the operation of, child welfare agencies, child care centers, foster homes, group homes, shelter care facilities, and county departments. Those rules shall be designed to protect and promote the health, safety, and welfare of the children in the care of all licensees. The department shall consult with the department of safety and professional services, the department of public instruction, and the child abuse and neglect prevention board before promulgating those rules. For foster homes, those rules shall include the rules promulgated under s. 48.62 (8). Those rules shall include rules that require all of the following:
(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 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 paragraph.
(b) That all child care center licensees, and all employees and volunteers of a child care center, who provide care and supervision for children under 5 years of age receive, before the date on which the license is issued or the employment or volunteer work commences, whichever is applicable, the training relating to shaken baby syndrome and impacted babies required under s. 253.15 (4) (a) or (c).
(c)
1. That all child care center licensees, and all employees of a child care center, who provide care and supervision for children have current proficiency in the use of an automated external defibrillator, as defined in s. 256.15 (1) (cr), achieved through instruction provided by an individual, organization, or institution of higher education that is approved under s. 46.03 (38) to provide such instruction or through instruction obtained by the licensee in connection with military service, as defined in s. 111.32 (12g), if the licensee demonstrates to the satisfaction of the department that the instruction obtained in that connection is substantially equivalent to the instruction provided by a person approved under s. 46.03 (38).
2. That all staff members of a group home who provide care for the residents of the group home have current proficiency in the use of an automated external defibrillator, as defined in s. 256.15 (1) (cr), achieved through instruction provided by an individual, organization, or institution of higher education that is approved under s. 46.03 (38) to provide such instruction or through instruction obtained in connection with military service, as defined in s. 111.32 (12g), if the staff member or group home demonstrates to the satisfaction of the department that the instruction obtained in that connection is substantially equivalent to the instruction provided by a person approved under s. 46.03 (38).
3. That all staff members of a shelter care facility who provide care and supervision for children have current proficiency in the use of an automated external defibrillator, as defined in s. 256.15 (1) (cr), achieved through instruction provided by an individual, organization, or institution of higher education that is approved under s. 46.03 (38) to provide such instruction or through instruction obtained in connection with military service, as defined in s. 111.32 (12g), if the staff member or shelter care facility demonstrates to the satisfaction of the department that the instruction obtained in that connection is substantially equivalent to the instruction provided by a person approved under s. 46.03 (38), and that all shelter care facilities have readily available on the premises of the shelter care facility a staff member or other person who has that proficiency.
4. That all child welfare agencies that operate a residential care center for children and youth have in each building housing residents of the residential care center for children and youth when those residents are present at least one staff member who has current proficiency in the use of an automated external defibrillator, as defined in s. 256.15 (1) (cr), achieved through instruction provided by an individual, organization, or institution of higher education that is approved under s. 46.03 (38) to provide such instruction or through instruction obtained in connection with military service, as defined in s. 111.32 (12g), if the staff member or child welfare agency demonstrates to the satisfaction of the department that the instruction obtained in that connection is substantially equivalent to the instruction provided by a person approved under s. 46.03 (38).
(d)
1. 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 paragraph and shall monitor compliance with this paragraph according to those rules. The training shall include training in all of the following:
a. Parenting skills, including child development; infant care, if appropriate; the effects of trauma on children; communicating with children in an age-appropriate manner; and recognizing issues such as drug use or addiction or attachment disorder.
am. Knowledge and skills relating to the use of the reasonable and prudent parent standard in making decisions concerning a child’s participation in age or developmentally appropriate activities including knowledge and skills relating to the stages in the development of cognitive, emotional, physical, and behavioral capacities of children and knowledge and skills relating to applying that standard in making decisions regarding a child’s participation in extracurricular, enrichment, cultural, or social activities, such as sports, field trips, overnight, and other recreational activities, in making decisions involving the signing of permission slips and the arrangement of transportation to and from those activities, and in making decisions regarding the child’s choices with respect to transportation, employment, peer relationships, and personal expression. Those rules shall require a foster parent who has received that training to make reasonable and prudent parenting decisions in accordance with the reasonable and prudent parent standard.
b. For foster parents caring for children 11 years of age or older, teaching and encouraging independent living skills, including budgeting, health and nutrition, and other skills to promote the child’s long-term economic independence and well-being.
c. Issues that may confront the foster parents, in general, and that may confront the foster parents of children with special needs.
d. Child abuse and neglect prevention.
e. The proper use of foster care payments.
f. The availability of resources for foster parents in the local community.
g. Other topics, as determined by the department.
2. The training under 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 subd. 1. shall be completed before the first child is placed with the foster parent.
(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.
(5) That all child welfare agencies that operate a residential care center for children and youth, all group homes, and all shelter care facilities employ on the site of the center, group home, or shelter care facility at all times a staff member designated as an out-of-home care provider for purposes of making decisions concerning the participation of a child placed in the center, group home, or shelter care facility in age or developmentally appropriate activities. Those rules shall also require an out-of-home care provider so designated to receive training in knowledge and skills relating to the use of the reasonable and prudent parent standard in making decisions concerning a child’s participation in age or developmentally appropriate activities. In addition, those rules shall require an out-of-home care provider so trained to make reasonable and prudent parenting decisions in accordance with the reasonable and prudent parent standard.
Source: WI Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/statutes/48.67Fetched: 10/7/2026