County department of social services in populous counties
Wis. Stat. § 46.215
in effect(1) Creation; powers and duties. Except as provided in ss. 49.155 (3g), 49.78 (1r), 49.825, and 49.826, in a county with a population of 750,000 or more the administration of welfare services, other than child welfare services administered by the department of children and families under s. 48.48 (17), is vested in a county department of social services under the jurisdiction of the county board of supervisors under s. 46.21 (2m) (b) 1. a. Any reference in any law to a county department of social services under this section applies to a county department under s. 46.21 (2m) in its administration under s. 46.21 (2m) of the powers and duties of the county department of social services. Except as provided in ss. 49.155 (3g), 49.78 (1r), 49.825, and 49.826, the county department of social services shall have the following functions, duties, and powers, and such other welfare functions as may be delegated to it:
(a) To make investigations relating to relief or welfare administration and admissions to state, county and other institutions upon request of court, superintendent, district attorney, veterans’ service commission or any other county official.
(b) To furnish services to families or persons other than the granting of financial or material aid where such services may prevent such families or persons from becoming public charges or restore them to a condition of self-support.
(c) To make certification or referral of eligibles for state or federal works or other assistance programs, eligibility for which is based on need, when designated to perform such certification or referral services.
(d) To make investigations that relate to services under subchs. IV and V of ch. 49 upon request by the department of health services and to make investigations that relate to programs under ch. 48 and subch. III of ch. 49 or to community-based juvenile delinquency-related services upon request by the department of children and families.
(e) To maintain administrative and reporting relationships with all pertinent state departments.
(g) To administer aid to families with dependent children under s. 49.19.
(h) To administer juvenile welfare services under s. 938.57; and, if contracted to do so by the department, to accept custody and guardianship of children upon the order of a competent court, to place children for adoption and to make recommendations relating to the adoption of children under s. 48.85.
(i) To make such investigations as are provided for in s. 48.88 (2) (a) and (c), if contracted to do so by the department and if the court having jurisdiction so directs.
(j) To make payments in such manner as the department of children and families may determine for training of recipients, former recipients, and potential recipients of aid in programs established under s. 49.193, 1997 stats., and s. 49.26 (1).
(k) Certify eligibility for and issue food coupons to needy households in conformity with the federal food stamp act of 1964 as amended, and, in addition, the county department of social services may certify eligibility for and distribute surplus commodities and food stuffs.
(L) Within the limits of available state and federal funds and of county funds appropriated to match state funds, to provide social services for persons eligible for or receiving benefits under the supplementary security income program under federal Title XVI, the supplemental payments program under s. 49.77 or aid to families with dependent children under s. 49.19.
(n) To collect and transmit information to the department of administration so that a federal energy assistance payment may be made to an eligible household; to collect and transmit information to the department of administration so that weatherization services may be made available to an eligible household; to receive applications from individuals seeking low-income energy assistance under s. 16.27 (4) or weatherization services under s. 16.26; to provide information on the income eligibility for weatherization of a recipient of low-income energy assistance to an entity with which the department of administration contracts for provision of weatherization under s. 16.26; and to receive a request, determine a correct payment amount, if any, and provide payment, if any, for emergency assistance under s. 16.27 (8).
(p) To administer the child care program under s. 49.155, if the department of children and families contracts with the county department of social services to do so.
(q) If the county board of supervisors establishes an initiative to provide coordinated services under s. 59.53 (7), to participate in and administer the initiative, including entering into any written interagency agreements or contracts.
(r) If authorized under s. 46.283 (1) (a) 1., to apply to the department of health services to operate a resource center under s. 46.283 and, if the department contracts with the county under s. 46.283 (2), to operate the resource center.
(s) If authorized under s. 46.284 (1) (a) 1., to apply to the department of health services to operate a care management organization under s. 46.284 and, if the department contracts with the county under s. 46.284 (2), to operate the care management organization and, if appropriate, place funds in a risk reserve.
(t) At the discretion of the county board of supervisors, to combine with one or more other counties to establish a county department of social services on a multicounty basis. A multicounty department of social services established under this paragraph shall meet the requirements for a county department of social services under this section.
(1m) Exchange of information; long-term care. Notwithstanding ss. 46.2895 (9), 48.78 (2) (a), 49.45 (4), 49.83, 51.30, 51.45 (14) (a), 55.22 (3), 146.82, 252.11 (7), 253.07 (3) (c), and 938.78 (2) (a), a subunit of a county department of social services or tribal agency acting under this section may exchange confidential information about a client, without the informed consent of the client, with any other subunit of the same county department of social services or tribal agency, with a resource center, a care management organization, or a long-term care district, with an elder-adult-at-risk agency, an adult-at-risk agency, or any agency to which referral for investigation is made under s. 46.90 (5) (a) 1. or 55.043 (1r) (a) 1g., or with a person providing services to the client under a purchase of services contract with the county department of social services or tribal agency or with a resource center, a care management organization, or a long-term care district, if necessary to enable an employee or service provider to perform his or her duties, or to enable the county department of social services or tribal agency to coordinate the delivery of services to the client. An agency that releases information under this subsection shall document that a request for information was received and what information was provided.
(1p) Exchange of information; statewide automated child welfare information system. Notwithstanding ss. 46.2895 (9), 48.396 (1) and (2) (a), 48.78 (2) (a), 48.981 (7), 49.45 (4), 49.83, 51.30, 51.45 (14) (a), 55.22 (3), 146.82, 252.11 (7), 252.15, 253.07 (3) (c), 938.396 (1) (a) and (2), and 938.78 (2) (a), a county department under this section may enter the content of any record kept or information received by that county department into the statewide automated child welfare information system established under s. 48.47 (7g).
(2) Purchase of care and services.
(a)
1. In order to ensure the availability of a full range of care and services, the county department of social services may contract, either directly or through the department of health services, with public or voluntary agencies or others to purchase, in full or in part, care and services, except as provided under subch. III of ch. 49 and s. 301.08 (2) and except for community-based juvenile delinquency-related services, that the county department of social services is authorized by any statute to furnish in any manner. That care and those services may be purchased from the department of health services if the department of health services has staff to furnish that care and those services. If the county department of social services has adequate staff, it may sell that care and those services directly to another county or state agency.
2. In order to ensure the availability of a full range of care and services, the county department of social services may contract, either directly or through the department of children and families, with public or voluntary agencies, or others to purchase, in full or in part, care and services under ch. 48 and subch. III of ch. 49 and community-based juvenile delinquency-related services that the county department of social services is authorized to furnish. That care and those services may be purchased from the department of children and families if the department of children and families has staff to furnish that care and those services. If the county department of social services has adequate staff, it may sell that care and those services directly to another county or state agency.
3. In order to ensure the availability of a full range of care and services, the county department of social services may contract, either directly or through the department of corrections, with public or voluntary agencies or others to purchase, in full or in part, juvenile delinquency-related care and services which the county department of social services is authorized by any statute to furnish in any manner. Such services may be purchased from the department of corrections if the department of corrections has staff to furnish the services. If the county department of social services has adequate staff, it may sell the care and services directly to another county or state agency.
(b) A county department of social services may purchase development and training services from the department of health services, from the department of children and families, from the department of corrections or from other county agencies when the services are available. A county department of social services may sell the development and staff training services to another county or state agency if the county department has adequate staff to provide the services.
(c)
1. A county department of social services shall develop, under the requirements of s. 46.036, plans and contracts for the purchase of care and services, except for care and services under subch. III of ch. 49 or s. 301.08 (2) and community-based juvenile delinquency-related services. The department of health services may review the contracts and approve them if they are consistent with s. 46.036 and if state or federal funds are available for those purposes. The joint committee on finance may require the department of health services to submit the contracts to the committee for review and approval. The department of health services may not make any payments to a county for programs included in a contract under review by the committee. The department of health services shall reimburse each county for the contracts from the appropriations under s. 20.435 (7) (b) and (o), as appropriate, under s. 46.495.
2. A county department of social services shall develop, under the requirements of s. 49.34, plans and contracts for the purchase of care and services under ch. 48 and subch. III of ch. 49 and of community-based juvenile delinquency-related services. The department of children and families may review the contracts and approve them if they are consistent with s. 49.34 and if state or federal funds are available for those purposes. The joint committee on finance may require the department of children and families to submit the contracts to the committee for review and approval. The department of children and families may not make any payments to a county for programs included in a contract under review by the committee.
3. A county department of social services shall develop, under the requirements of s. 301.08 (2), plans and contracts for the purchase of juvenile correctional services. The department of corrections may review the contracts and approve them if they are consistent with s. 301.08 (2) and if state or federal funds are available for such purposes. The joint committee on finance may require the department of corrections to submit the contracts to the committee for review and approval. The department of children and families may not make any payments under s. 48.526 to a county for programs included in a contract under review by the committee. The department of children and families shall reimburse each county for the contracts from the appropriations under s. 20.437 (1) (cj), (o), and (q) as appropriate.
(3) Program budgets. The county department of social services shall submit a final budget for authorized services to the department of health services under s. 46.031 (1) and to the department of children and families under s. 49.325 (1).
Source: WI Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/statutes/46.215Fetched: 10/7/2026