Wisconsin calls licensed home programs family child care centers. Several forms expressly distinguish mandatory home forms from optional group-center versions; certification is a separate pathway. Current agency guidance reflects August 2026 family-capacity changes.
Agency: Department of Children and Families, Division of Early Care and Education Paperwork source review: September 14, 2026
Use your print window to print on paper or save as a PDF. The organizer is a planning aid for your files.
Check the form and your provider type.
An official agency form is issued or listed by the agency; that label alone does not establish mandatory use. A required state form is identified as mandatory in the cited instructions. A required record identifies information you must maintain; its format may be flexible. An optional template is a suggested format. Official instructions / portal links explain the application or record process.
Read “Applies to” and “Format and applicability” for each item. Home, group-home, center, local licensing, food-program, and subsidy requirements can differ.
Application & renewal
01
Official instructions / portal
Starting a Licensed Child Care Program / Expression of Interest
Connect with pre-licensing support and obtain application instructions.
Applies to
Prospective licensed family child care centers
Who completes it
Prospective operator
Where it goes
Expression of Interest through the Child Care Provider Portal; existing certified operators contact pre-licensing directly.
When to use or update
At startup; follow the consultant's application process.
Format and applicability: Public instructions link portal guides. The page also says consultants provide applications after pre-licensing; confirm the currently available submission route.
Authorization to Administer Medication — Child Care Centers
Form DCF-F-CFS0059-E
Document prescription or nonprescription medication authorization.
Applies to
Mandatory format for licensed family child care centers; voluntary for groups, day camps, and certified providers.
Who completes it
Parent/guardian and administering provider
Where it goes
Keep the authorization available for medication use; file it in the child's record when authorization ends. Licensed family centers record doses in the center medical log book.
When to use or update
Parent signs before any dose; use one authorization per medicine. Licensed family centers enter administration dates and times in the medical log book on the day given.
Format and applicability: July 2026 PDF. The authorization page is mandatory for licensed family centers. The attached administration sheet is only for certified providers; it does not replace a licensed center's medical log.
Selected official forms and public instructions were reviewed on September 14, 2026. This is a practical starting list, not a complete certification of every record, retention period, local rule, or individual application.
Certification has a separate forms directory and local certifier; licensed-family mandatory forms should not automatically be imposed on certified homes.
The startup page combines newer portal guidance with a consultant-supplied application note; confirm current submission steps with pre-licensing staff.
Use the agency’s current original and revision instructions. Keep confidential child and staff records in your own secure record system.
Use this sheet to check which items apply to your program. A listed item or a checked box does not establish that your program meets licensing requirements.
Program / provider type:
Licensing office / reviewer:
Date checked / rule or packet edition:
Form or instruction
Applies? Yes / No / Ask
Received / completed
Location / next review
1. Starting a Licensed Child Care Program / Expression of Interest
2. Child Care Enrollment (DCF-F-CFS0062)
3. Authorization to Administer Medication — Child Care Centers (DCF-F-CFS0059-E)
4. Safety and Emergency Response Documentation (DCF-F-CFS0460)
5. Staff Record Checklist — Family Child Care Centers (DCF-F-CFS2051-E)
6. Health History and Emergency Care Plan (DCF-F-CFS2345)
7. Staff Orientation Checklist — Family Child Care Centers (DCF-F-CFS2255-E)
Ask about required format, signatures, submission, update triggers, and retention. Record the agency’s answer and the person or written source that confirmed it.
Companion to the Wisconsin source review dated September 14, 2026. Provider Path educational planning sheet.
Use your existing tools alongside these sources.
Keep official licensing records with your program’s business records. Provider Path’s editable agreement, handbook, and daily forms can help organize your work; check the state instructions before choosing a format.
