Child Care Teacher: Under Wisconsin law, no person may provide care and supervision for 4 or more children under the age of 7 for less than 24 hours a day unless that person obtains a license to operate a child care center from the Department.

Must be at least 18 years old and have high school education or equivalent or certificate, credentials, or diploma from a post-secondary early childhood training program approved by the department. Must have 120 days half-time or 80 days full-time experience in direct care; or certification by the Wisconsin department of public instruction as a nursery school teacher or as an exceptional education needs teacher (or be able to show evidence of meeting the qualifications for certification); and 2 years documented credit in an institution of higher education with at least 3 credits equivalent to early childhood education or satisfactory completion of 80 hours of department-approved training in early childhood education, CDA credentials, or satisfactory completion of another department-approved competency program.

A WORD ON WISCONSIN CHILD CARE REGULATIONS
Anyone providing care and supervision for 4 or more children under age 7 years for less than 24 hours a day must be licensed by the Department. Exceptions to this rule are:
- A parent, grandparent, greatgrandparent, stepparent, brother, sister, first cousin, nephew, niece, uncle, or aunt of a child, whether by blood, marriage, or legal adoption, who provides care and supervision for the child.
- Public and parochial schools.
- Care provided in the home of the child’s parent for less than 24 hours per day.
- Counties, cities, towns, school districts and libraries that provide programs for children primarily intended for social or recreational purposes.
- A program that operates not more than 4 hours per week.
- Group lessons to develop a talent or skill such as dance or music, social group meetings and activities, group athletics.
- A program where the parents are on the premises and are engaged in shopping, recreation or other non-work activities.
- Seasonal programs of ten days or less duration in any 3-month period, including day camps, vacation bible school and holiday child care programs.
- Emergency situations.
- Care and supervision for no more than 3 hours a day while the parent is employed on the premises.
- A program provided where the child of a recipient of temporary assistance to needy families, or Wisconsin works, is involved in orientation, enrollment or initial assessment or where parents are provided training or counseling.