Child care start-up and expansion
Wis. Stat. § 49.136
in effect(1) Definitions. In this section:
(ad) “Child care center” means a facility operated by a child care provider that provides care and supervision for 4 or more children under 7 years of age for less than 24 hours a day.
(am) “Child care program” means a program established and provided by a school board under s. 120.13 (14) or purchased by a school board from a provider licensed under s. 48.65, which combines care for a child who resides with a student parent who is a parent of that child with parenting education and experience for that student parent.
(b) “Child care provider” means a provider licensed under s. 48.65, certified under s. 48.651 or established or contracted for under s. 120.13 (14).
(g) “Employer” means a person who engages the services of an employee, and includes the state, its political subdivisions and any office, department, independent agency, authority, institution, association, society or other body in state or local government created or authorized to be created by the constitution or any law, including the courts and the legislature.
(j) “Family child care center” means a child care center that provides care and supervision for not less than 4 nor more than 8 children.
(k) “Group child care center” means a child care center that provides care and supervision for 9 or more children.
(m) “Parent” means a parent, guardian, foster parent, legal custodian, or a person acting in the place of a parent.
(n) “Student parent” means a pupil who is enrolled in a middle school, junior high school or senior high school and who is a parent.
(2) Start-up and expansion.
(a) From the allocation under s. 49.155 (1g), the department may award grants for the start-up or expansion of child care services.
(b) If the department awards grants under this section, the department shall attempt to award the grants to head start agencies designated under 42 USC 9836, employers that provide or wish to provide child care services for their employees, family child care centers, group child care centers and child care programs for the children of student parents, organizations that provide child care for sick children, and child care providers that employ participants or former participants in a Wisconsin Works employment position under s. 49.147 (3) to (5).
(cm) A person who is awarded a grant under this subsection shall contribute matching funds equal to 25 percent of the amount awarded under this subsection. The match may be in the form of money or in-kind goods or services, or both.
(6) Limit on expenditure of funds. No funds provided under this section may be used for the purchase or improvement of land or for the purchase, construction or permanent improvement, other than minor remodeling, of any building or facility.
(7) Grant administration.
(a) The department shall establish guidelines for eligibility for a grant under this section. The department need not promulgate those guidelines as rules under ch. 227.
(b) The department may administer the grant application process under this section or contract for the administration of that process.
Source: WI Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/statutes/49.136Fetched: 10/7/2026