In their recent report about child care assistance policies nationwide, the National Women’s Law Center provided fact sheets on policies from each state. In Wisconsin, researchers found:

• In 2012, a family of three in Wisconsin could qualify for child care assistance with an annual income up to 185% of the federal poverty level (FPL). This equates to a family of 3 that earns less than $35,316 per year. States vary greatly on the income eligibility limit they use, with a range from 117% of the FPL (Nebraska) to 301% of the FPL (Colorado).
• Wisconsin had no waiting list for child care assistance as of February 2012. Florida had the largest waiting list in early 2012 with 71,803 children.
• In 2012, Wisconsin’s reimbursement rates for child care providers serving families receiving child care assistance were below the federally recommended level (the 75th percentile of current market rates). In the urban areas of the state, the monthly reimbursement rate was about 13% below the recommended amount.
• Wisconsin’s current reimbursement rates match the 75th percentile of child care costs from 2005.

View the entire Wisconsin child care subsidy fact sheet here.