The Wisconsin Department of Children and Families (DCF), Division of Early Care and Education (DECE), Milwaukee Early Care Administration (MECA) is currently recruiting to fill several full-time (30 and 40 hours per week) Child Care Subsidy Specialist- Entry or Objective (Bilingual/Non-bilingual) positions in Milwaukee, WI. Positions will be filled at the Entry or Objective level depending on the qualifications of the selected candidate, which will be determined during interviews.

MECA supports child care needs for Milwaukee County families, providing Wisconsin Shares child care subsidy to families that are eligible for this program. This means families will receive a childcare authorization for their children to attend a state regulated child care provider.

DCF offers great benefits, personal growth opportunities and work-life balance as a State of Wisconsin employee; and the intrinsic reward associated with serving the children and families of Wisconsin.

This position is headquartered at our Milwaukee Office (635 N 26th St, Milwaukee, WI 53233) and will have the option of working in a hybrid (remote and/or in office) schedule up to 5 days per week. This schedule may change based on training or operational needs. Employees will be required to report to Milwaukee Office on their first day of employment. High speed internet access is required to meet the needs of hybrid work.

There are several full-time day shift openings. The general 100% appointment day shift hours are 8:00am-5pm, Monday-Friday. The general 70% appointment day shift hours are 11:00am-5:00pm, Monday-Friday. The exact hours can vary and will be discussed in interviews.

Come see why DCF is such a great place to work!

DCF is committed to the important work of helping children, youth and families become safer, more secure and progress down the road to true independence. For more information about DCF, visit our website at http://dcf.wi.gov/.

All state employees must report their COVID vaccination status, whether vaccinated or not and provide supporting documentation if vaccinated. Newly hired employees will be required to submit this information within their first two weeks of employment.

The State of Wisconsin continues to follow necessary health and safety protocols for COVID. Please visit Division of Personnel Management Coronavirus - COVID-19 (wi.gov) for the most up-to-date information. Guidance may be subject to change.

Child Care Subsidy Specialist- Entry will authorize child care for parents and providers. This position completes the process for ensuring that eligible children and parents participating in the Wisconsin Shares program are authorized for the appropriate hours of care with a certified or licensed provider in compliance with state and federal law and requirements. Child Care Subsidy Specialists are responsible for reviewing childcare eligibility, ensuring the parent has provided accurate and complete verification documents, applying appropriate state and federal policies, and completing authorizations in a timely manner. Child Care Subsidy Specialists are required to perform detailed case reviews to secure all information necessary to complete or modify the authorization and determine if fraud or other misappropriation has occurred.

For a complete copy of the position description, click here.

Child Care Subsidy Specialist- Objective function at the full performance level, performing Child Care Subsidy and Provider Authorization duties in the Milwaukee Early Care Administration. Positions at this level are responsible for authorizing child care for parent and providers and payments to providers independently, with minimal supervision.

For a complete copy of the position description, click here.

Child Care Subsidy Specialist- Bilingual (Entry or Objective) provides above services in addition to translation to provide support to Somali and Spanish speaking parents and to internal sections within MECA as needed. **Please note that language fluency will be verified at the time of hire for all bilingual selected candidates. **

For a complete copy of the Somali position description, click here.

For a complete copy of the Spanish position description, click here.

The starting salary of Entry level is $21.60 per hour ($44,034 annually). The pay schedule/range is 12-64. The starting salary of Objective level is $22.48 per hour ($46,758 annually). The pay schedule/range is 12-63. An add-on of up to $1.00 may be provided for bilingual skills in Somali. Pay for all hires will be based on the compensation plan in effect at the time of the appointment. A one-year probationary period may be required.

Due to the nature of the position, final candidates may be required to allow DCF to conduct a security background check to determine whether the circumstances of any pending charges or convictions would be substantially related to the job being filled.

Applicants must be legally entitled to work in the United States (i.e., a citizen or national of the U.S., a lawful permanent resident, an alien authorized to work in the U.S. without DCF sponsorship.) The Department of Children and Families does not sponsor visas, either at time of hire or at any later time.

Minimally qualified applicants will have:

• Customer service experience in an office setting (i.e., answering calls, greeting customers)
• Data entry experience
• Experience writing and interpreting information orally to clients or customers

Well-qualified applicants will have:

Well-qualified applicants will be bilingual in English, and Somali or Spanish. Please note that language fluency will be verified at the time of hire.

• Experience working in a call center environment
• Experience using CARES, CWW, CSAW, CCPI, ECF or other similar databases
• Experience with interpreting and applying policies, procedures, state statutes, or administrative code
• Experience with investigation techniques
• Experience meeting deadlines

If you haven’t already done so, you will need to create an account and apply online. You must apply online to be considered for this position. Application materials will not be accepted if received in an e-mail, as a hard copy or a fax.

After you are logged in and are viewing the announcement, click “Apply Now.” You will be asked to provide your personal information, attach a resume and letter of qualifications. Online applications that do not include all of the requested materials will not be considered.

Both a resume and letter of qualification are required. If both documents are not submitted during the application process, your application will be disqualified. Your letter of qualifications and resume are very important parts of your application at DCF and are used during our evaluation process to determine your qualifications as they relate to the job. For instructions on developing your resume and letter of qualifications for your DCF application and what should be included in these materials, click here.

Submitted materials will be evaluated by one or more subject matter experts and qualified applicants may be invited to participate in the next step of the selection process.

Veterans with at least a 30% service-connected disability rating should contact the HR Specialist listed in this posting regarding eligibility for consideration under the non-competitive appointment process.

Permanent classified state employees who are eligible for consideration (transfer, voluntary demotion, or former employees as a reinstatement) must complete the application process to apply.

The deadline to apply is 11:59 PM on Wednesday, April 26, 2023. If you need assistance with the online application process, please contact, Deborah Ruelle at 414-343-5814 or via email at deborahj.ruelle@wisconsin.gov.