Section 49.134. Child care resource and referral service grants.

 

(1)   Definitions. In this section:

(a) “Indian tribe" means a federally recognized American Indian tribe or band in this state.

(b) “Local agency" means a nonprofit, tax-exempt corporation or an Indian tribe that provides or proposes to provide child care resource and referral services that are funded under this section.

(c) “Nonprofit, tax-exempt corporation" means a nonstock corporation organized under ch. 181 that is a nonprofit corporation, as defined in s. 181.0103 (17) , and that is exempt from taxation under section 501 (c) of the internal revenue code.

(2)   Resource and referral service grants.

(a) From the allocation under s. 49.155 (1g) , the department shall make grants to local agencies to fund child care resource and referral services provided by those local agencies. The department shall provide an allocation formula to determine the amount of a grant awarded under this section.

(c) A local agency that is awarded a grant under this section shall contribute matching funds equal to 25 percent of the amount awarded under this section. The match may be in the form of money or in-kind goods or services, or both.

(d) The department may award a grant under this section to a local agency only if that local agency meets any of the following requirements:

1. The local agency is solely in the business of providing child care resource and referral services.

2. If the local agency provides services, or is affiliated with a person who provides services, other than child care resource and referral services, the local agency, or the person with whom the local agency is affiliated, is not a provider of child care services or of early childhood education services and the local agency has an advisory committee to provide oversight for the portion of the local agency's services that are child care resource and referral services.

(3)   Use of grant funds.

(a) A local agency that is awarded a grant under this section may use the funds to provide any of the following services:

1. Technical assistance and support to child care providers.

2. Recruitment of child care providers in areas of need.

3. Information on the child care service options that are available in the community served by the local agency.

4. A data resource file that identifies the child care service options that are available in the community served by the local agency and that documents the requests and needs of parents in that community for child care services.

5. Programs or information on continuing education and training for child care providers.

6. Any other information regarding the availability and quality of child care services in the community served by the local agency.

(b) A local agency that is awarded a grant under this section may not use the funds to supplant any other funds that the local agency uses to provide child care resource and referral services at the time of the awarding of the grant.

(4)   Department responsibilities. The department shall do all of the following:

(a) Administer, or contract for the administration of, the grant program under this section, provide an application procedure for that program and disburse funds awarded under that program.

(b) Provide consultation and technical assistance to local agencies in the preparation of grant applications and the operation of child care resource and referral services programs funded under this section.

(c) Monitor the child care resource and referral services provided by a grant recipient.

1991 a. 275 ; 1993 a. 16 ; 1995 a. 27 ; 1995 a. 404 ss. 123 to 129 ; Stats. 1995 s. 49.134; 1997 a. 27 , 79 ; 2005 a. 25 ; 2007 a. 20 .