Parents and Caregivers
The child care subsidy program, Wisconsin Shares, supports low-income working families by subsidizing a portion of the cost of quality child care while the parents or caregivers are working or participating in a qualifying activity.
Learn about the steps to apply for Wisconsin Shares here.
The child care subsidy payment depends on the household's income, hours of care needed, how many children will need care in the family, what the provider's rates are, and other factors. All families are expected to pay a portion of the expense or co-pay directly to the provider.
Wisconsin uses an electronic benefits transfer (EBT) card to issue child care subsidy benefits. Each eligible family has funds loaded to their card. In turn, the funds are paid out to the child care provider. Click here to learn more about how the card works.
The child care subsidy can only be paid to child care providers who are licensed or certified. To find a provider, visit the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families Child Care Finder.
The MyWIChildCare Portal is an online system available to parents/caregivers receiving Wisconsin Shares to help manage their child care subsidy needs:
- View your child care authorizations
- Request a new authorization, or make changes to a current one
- Check the balance on your MyWIChildCareEBT card and track your payments
- Sign up to receive a text message when you have a new message in the Parent Portal from your agency worker
- Track all requests entered in the Parent Portal using the Track My Requests button
Application Information
Here are the ways to apply for the child care subsidy program, Wisconsin Shares:
- Online: ACCESS
- Phone: Bay Lake Consortium (888) 794-5747
- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday 8:00 AM – 4:15 PM
- Thursday 9:00 AM – 4:15 PM
- Friday 8:00 AM - 11:00 AM
- In Person: Brown County Health & Human Services
- 111 N. Jefferson Street | Green Bay, WI
- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 7:30 AM – 5:00 PM
- Friday 7:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Are you a child care provider looking to accept Wisconsin Shares child care subsidy? Learn more here.
The Child Care Provider Portal allows you to manage your child care business online with the State of Wisconsin.