Wyoming Department of Family Services

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Child Care

Find Child Care

Visit the Wyoming DFS Facility Discovery page to find child care facilities around the state as well as other related and important information.

Receive Help Paying for Child Care

Child Care Financial Assistance in Wyoming

The Child Care Subsidy Program helps low income families pay for the cost of care when the parent(s) are working or in school or training. Based on the family’s income, the parents may be responsible for paying for part of the cost of care. The Department of Family Services’ Child Care Subsidy Program uses a combination of state and federal funds to assist eligible families in paying for the cost of child care while the parent(s) is working or attending an approved educational activity. If the family meets the eligibility criteria, the Department of Family Services pays a portion of the cost of care. Parents are free to choose a child care arrangement that best fits their needs as long as the provider chosen meets certain health and safety requirements.

How Much Will DFS Pay for Child Care?

DFS bases its maximum reimbursement rates for licensed facilities on a Market Survey which is conducted at least once every two years. Our most recent survey is the 2017 Market Survey. You will need to report your regular rates on the Provider Registration form. If your rates are more than the DFS maximum reimbursement rates, the parent(s) will be responsible for the amount above the DFS maximum reimbursement rates. The parent may also be responsible for paying for a portion of the cost of care. You cannot bill DFS more than you bill your families that are not assisted by DFS. The amount of time DFS will pay for is based on the parent(s) activity schedule. Only the hours that the parent is working or attending school are allowable hours for child care assistance. If the parent(s) are bringing the child to child care at times that they are not working or going to school, you should bill the parent directly and do not include those hours on your DFS billing form.

Is Child Care Subsidy an Option for My Family?

To qualify for the Child Care Subsidy Program, a family needs to meet all eligibility criteria including financial and approved activity criteria. The following information is provided as an overview of potential eligibility for assistance but the actual determination must be made by the local DFS office in the county where you reside.

  • All income that any family member receives must be reported to the Department for consideration in the eligibility determination for child care subsidy. The income may or may not be used based on the type of income and who receives the income.
  • The amount the state pays for child care depends on the family’s income and the cost of the care provided.
  • To receive child care assistance, the parent/caretaker must be working or attending an employment related educational program. For parents pursuing a college degree, assistance can be provided for the time the parent/caretaker is attending classes toward a first baccalaureate degree. If there are two parents/caretakers in the household, both parents/caretakers must be participating in an approved activity during the same hours.
  • Once the family has been receiving child care assistance, they may remain eligible for assistance if the family’s income increased due to employment earnings and the total income is within the limits for Transitional Child Care.
  • Child Care Assistance Application
  • Child Care Assistance Application Spanish Version
  • Financial Criteria Chart – effective October 1, 2019
  • Financial Criteria Chart – effective April 1, 2019
  • Financial Criteria Chart – effective October 1, 2018
Providing Care for Children Receiving Subsidy

To receive payment for child care services, you must either be a licensed provider or legally exempt from licensing. If you are exempt from licensing, you must meet to following conditions to be eligible to receive payment:

  • You must be 18 years.
  • You must reside in Wyoming.
  • Assure that all children in your care are currently immunized and keep a copy of the child’s immunization record in your home.
  • You must have an operable phone and smoke detector or fire alarm system at the place where care is provided (Note: a phone may not be required if care is provided in the child’s home and a phone is available nearby).
  • Agree to lock up all weapons, ammunition, poisons, chemicals, bleach and cleaning materials to make them inaccessible to children.
  • You must submit verification that you are currently certified in infant/child CPR and first aid within 90 days of the date you began to care for a child for payment from DFS.
  • All adult household members and any substitute provider(s) who have access to the children in care must submit signed releases and receive favorable background checks from the Central Registry and the Division of Criminal Investigation.
How Do I Become Registered to Receive Payment?

Both licensed and unlicensed providers must submit a completed Provider Registration and a completed Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification to your local DFS office.

Documents & Forms

Report a Concern on a child care facility

If a parent, guardian or other concerned citizen thinks that a child care program is not meeting the licensing requirements, a complaint can be made to the local Child Care Licenser or local DFS office. Examples of concerns that might be reported include, but are not limited to:

  • Children being left alone without adult supervision
  • Inappropriate child discipline
  • Children not being fed nutritious meals
  • Too many children present for the number of staff
  • Unsafe conditions
  • Any issue relating to child abuse or neglect.

The Department has the authority to investigate all of these areas. However, the Department has no authority over areas such as operational policies about payment, hours or days of operation, if a program chooses not to administer medication, or enrollment or termination policies.

Complaint Investigation Procedure for Licensing Requirements:
  • File Complaint

Contact the Child Care Licenser for your area. If possible, please provide the following:

  • The facility’s name and/or the provider’s name 
  • The location
  • Details about the concern
  • Any specific information about individuals involved in the incident
  • Date and/or time the incident occurred
  • Any additional information that you have
Complaint Investigation:

The Department makes an unannounced visit to discuss the complaint with the provider. Dependent upon the nature of the complaint, various aspects of the program will be monitored. 

Complaint Resolution:

If it is determined that the incident did occur, the violation will be substantiated and there are various actions that can be taken:

  • Follow up visits can be made to ensure that the incident is not repeated.
  • The provider may be required to submit a corrective action plan that details what action will be taken to correct the violation.
  • Additional action may be taken against the program’s license when appropriate. (Please refer to Chapter 3 of the Child Care Licensing Rules.)

All substantiated complaints are part of the facility’s Complaint and Compliance History and are available upon request to Child Care Licensing.