Wisconsin Administrative Code Department of Children and Families
Here’s a detailed breakdown of the Wisconsin Administrative Code under the Department of Children and Families (DCF):
📘 Code Organization
According to the Wisconsin Legislature’s site, the code is organized into these four distinct chapter ranges (docs.legis.wisconsin.gov):
DCF 1 – 20 — General provisions
DCF 021 – 99 — Safety and Permanence
DCF 101 – 199 — Family and Economic Security
DCF 201 – 252 — Early Care and Education
🔍 Key Chapter Highlights
DCF 1–20: General
DCF 1 – Fees for child welfare & community-based youth justice services
DCF 12 – Background checks for child welfare programs
DCF 13 – Background checks for child care programs
(regulations.justia.com, docs.legis.wisconsin.gov, regulations.justia.com)
DCF 021–99: Safety and Permanence
DCF 54 – Child-placing agencies (covers licensing, personnel management, records, inspections, rates) (casetext.com)
DCF 57 – Group homes subdivided into:
I. General provisions (DCF 57.01–.135)
II. Personnel (57.14–.18)
III. Admission/discharge (57.19–.20)
IV. Resident care (57.205–.39)
V. Physical environment & safety (57.40–.44)
VI. Licensing/enforcement (57.45–.59)
VII. Rate regulation (57.60–.65) (law.cornell.edu)
DCF 59 – Shelter care facilities (intro, definitions, personnel, physical plant, records, licensing) (regulations.justia.com)
DCF 101–199: Family and Economic Security
DCF 101 – Oversight of Wisconsin Works (W-2, welfare-to-work) (docs.legis.wisconsin.gov)
DCF 150 – Child Support Standard (casetext.com)
DCF 201–252: Early Care and Education
DCF 250 – Licensing rules for family child care homes (licensingregulations.acf.hhs.gov)
DCF 251 – Licensing rules for group child care centers (including school board-associated programs) (licensingregulations.acf.hhs.gov)
✅ Summary Table
Chapter Range
Focus Area
DCF 1–20
General provisions & background checks
DCF 021–99
Child welfare, shelters, foster/placement facilities
DCF 101–199
Economic support—W-2, child support
DCF 201–252
Child care licensing and regulations
📚 Where to Access the Official Text
The Wisconsin Legislature’s Administrative Code website (docs.legis.wisconsin.gov) contains up-to-date DCF chapter information.
Secondary legal sites like Justia or Cornell LII offer chapter breakdowns, though you should verify against the official legislature site for recent updates.
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