Helping Communities Help Children

Family Child Care Certification

FOLLOW 4-C

4-C is a local early childhood non-profit organization that provides a range of early childhood services to families, early childhood professionals and communities in southern Wisconsin. In addition to Certification, 4-C offers training and consulting to early childhood professionals, is a YoungStar regional office, offers a resource room for early childhood professionals and administers the Child and Adult Care Food Program. 4-C offers families child care referrals, Play and Learn play groups, developmental screening, and parent education services. 4-C also provides early childhood data to the community and is an early childhood collaborator.

5 Odana Court, Madison, WI 53719

(608) 271-9181 | (800) 750-KIDS

Fax: (608) 271-5380

certification@4-C.org | www.4-C.org

Family Child Care Certification4-C contracts with various counties to administer Certification, a county regulation that oversees and helps providers with their home child care business. The 4-C Certification program’s main objective is to assist child care providers in maintaining certification standards for the health, safety and well-being of children in care.

Certified child care providers are:• Eligible to participate in the Child and Adult Care Food

Program (payments for feeding children nutritious meals and snacks)

• Listed in the 4-C Referral program database

• Eligible to receive payments for state-funded child care clients through the Wisconsin Shares child care subsidy program

• Eligible to participate in YoungStar, Wisconsin’s child care quality rating and improvement system

• Given access to a wide variety of resources and technical assistance to succeed in the business of family child care

• Able to enhance their professional image as a child care provider

Maximum Group Size Certified child care providers may care for up to three unrelated children under the age of seven with a group maximum of six children, which includes the provider’s own children under age seven.

Training SIDS and SBS

• If a provider wishes to care for children under age one, a course on reducing the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is required.

• If a provider wishes to care for children under the age of five, a course on Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) is required.

Entry Level Training

There are two levels of certification: provisional and regular. To obtain regular certification, the following classes are required: Introduction to the Child Care Profession and Fundamentals of Family Child Care. The application process and regulations are the same for both levels; however, regularly certified providers must also complete five hours of continuing education annually.

Where to BeginThe first step in applying for Certification is to participate in a required Start-Up Meeting. During the meeting, you will learn more about the application process, how to prepare your home for certified care, and other important aspects of operating a family child care business. Certification application packets will be distributed once a Start-Up Meeting is complete. Remote Start-Up Meetings are available; please contact 4-C for more information.

Application ProcessYou must submit the following documentation to 4-C in order to apply for Certification:

• Application fee

• Completed application

• Background Information Disclosure forms for everyone age 12 and older who resides in the home as well as substitutes, assistants, and volunteers

• A landlord permission form (if you do not own our home)

• A well-water test (if you do not have city water)

• TB test documentation

• W-9 tax form

• Documentation of SIDS/SBS training

Once all paperwork has been submitted, 4-C will begin processing your application. Allow for a minimum of 30-60 days to process application materials. If the application is approved, 4-C will contact you to schedule a home visit. If your home meets certification standards, you will be granted certification. Your certification will be valid for two years, at which time you may choose to renew.