summary
Introduced
06/27/2025
06/27/2025
In Committee
06/27/2025
06/27/2025
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
Introduced Session
2025-2026 Regular Session
Bill Summary
Under current law, the Department of Children and Families regulates child care providers and is required to promulgate rules to carry out that function. Under rules promulgated by DCF, a person hired by a licensed child care center to be an assistant child care teacher must be at least 18 or 17 years old, depending on the qualifications the person meets. An assistant child care teacher or school-age group leader who is at least 18 years old and has completed the training required for the position may provide sole supervision to a group of school-age children for up to 45 minutes if there is a qualified school-age program leader or child care teacher on the premises, and an assistant child care teacher may provide sole supervision to a group of children in full-day centers for up to two hours during opening and closing hours and during the center[s designated naptime. This bill provides in the statutes that a licensed child care center may hire an individual to be an assistant child care teacher if the individual is at least 16 years old and has completed early childhood education training. The bill maintains the current law requirements for assistant child care teachers providing sole supervision to a group of children and adds that an assistant child care teacher may LRB-3778/1 MDE:skw&cjs 2025 - 2026 Legislature SENATE BILL 359 only provide sole supervision to a group of children in a full-day center if there is a child care teacher on the premises.
AI Summary
This bill modifies regulations for assistant child care teachers by lowering the minimum hiring age to 16 and establishing specific training and supervision requirements. The bill introduces new definitions for terms like "assistant child care teacher," "child care teacher," "full-day center," and "school-age program," and creates guidelines for hiring and supervising these workers. Specifically, a child care center can now hire a 16-year-old assistant child care teacher who must complete either two credits in early childhood education, a non-credit department-approved course, or an approved training program within 6 months of being hired. An assistant child care teacher who is at least 18 years old and has completed required training may provide sole supervision in a full-day center during opening and closing hours (up to 2 hours) and during naptime (up to 2 hours), provided a child care teacher is on the premises. Similarly, in a school-age program, an assistant child care teacher can provide sole supervision for up to 45 minutes if a school-age program leader or child care teacher is on site. These provisions aim to provide more flexibility in staffing while maintaining child safety standards.
Committee Categories
Health and Social Services
Sponsors (24)
Jesse James (R)*,
Steve Nass (R)*,
Cory Tomczyk (R)*,
Scott Allen (R),
Elijah Behnke (R),
Robert Brooks (R),
Barbara Dittrich (R),
Cindi Duchow (R),
Joy Goeben (R),
Chanz Green (R),
Rick Gundrum (R),
Nate Gustafson (R),
Karen Hurd (R),
Brent Jacobson (R),
Dean Kaufert (R),
Dan Knodl (R),
Rob Kreibich (R),
Dave Murphy (R),
Amanda Nedweski (R),
Todd Novak (R),
Jerry O'Connor (R),
William Penterman (R),
John Spiros (R),
Duke Tucker (R),
Last Action
Read first time and referred to Committee on Mental Health, Substance Abuse Prevention, Children and Families (on 06/27/2025)
Official Document
bill text
bill summary
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bill summary
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bill summary
| Document Type | Source Location |
|---|---|
| State Bill Page | https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2025/proposals/reg/sen/bill/sb359 |
| BillText | https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/proposaltext/2025/REG/SB359.pdf |
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