FAQS

Yes. If you are interested in Tier 2, please complete the Tier 2 form. A Tiered Membership Specialist will work with you. In some areas, there is a waitlist for Tier 2 services.

You will receive a confirmation email that your response has been submitted.

For Tier 2, our team of Tiered Membership Specialists will review the availability of slots in your area and will contact you. If there is availability in the program, you will be asked to fill out an agreement form.

For Tier 3, the group or family child care coaches will review the availability of slots in your area and will contact you. If there are openings, you will be asked to fill out an agreement form. You can end your agreement at any time – no questions asked.

Tier 2 programs may choose to use the Early Learning Ventures (ELV) Child Care Management Software, but it is not required. WEESSN covers the purchase, onboarding, and training cost plus the fees for the first 6 months (a total savings of up to $1,500).

After 6 months, there is a minimal monthly fee that varies by program size.

• $10/month for family child care programs
• $25/month for programs with 0-30 children
• $50/month for programs with 31-60 children
• $100/month for programs with 61+ children
• For Tier 3 programs, the ELV program is free.
• Tier 3 programs that use Relief Squad substitute teachers are charged $10/hr.

Tier 2 and Tier 3 programs are encouraged, but not required, to use the Early Learning Ventures (ELV) Child Care Management Software. The company is dedicated to expanding access to quality, affordable child care.

ELV focuses their efforts on improving the quality of early child care programs – 85% of which are small, independent businesses that lack the infrastructure and resources to invest in quality improvements.

Save time and money by streamlining your administrative tasks. Some examples:

• No more checking immunization reports each month. ELV will let you know when a child is due for shots.
• Message parents through the ELV app to keep them informed.
• Bill and receive payments electronically so that you always know you’re getting paid on time.
• Easily track data for the Food Program reports.

Easy enrollment and low-cost payment options for families yield increased revenue collection for your business.

A whole team of people working for you and your program to develop tailored solutions to meet your needs.

Both center-based and family child care providers can meet Wisconsin DCF licensing and certification paperwork compliance using ELV.

ELV will save you time and money by streamlining your administrative tasks. See the question above: What is ELV and why would I want to use it?

The software system setup and training takes place over a series of one-on-one sessions with a specialist from ELV. They will answer your questions and help you learn to utilize the software to meet your needs. You will receive Registry credit for these trainings.

For Tier 3, using ELV is FREE. For Tier 2, WEESSN covers the purchase cost and the fees for the first 6 months (savings of up $1,500). After the 6-month period, the cost of the software will be:

• $10/month for family child care programs
• $25/month for programs with 0-30 children
• $50/month for programs with 31-60 children
• $100/month for programs with 61+ children

ELV says if you can’t figure something out in 2 minutes, they want you to call them for help. Their customer service is exemplary. The WEESSN team is also here to help.

Tier 2 Specialist:

• Has years of experience and will meet with you every six months, or more frequently if desired.
• Will assist you with finding quick, helpful answers.
• Accessible virtually via video chat, phone, or email to answer your questions.
• Helps providers utilize resources for policies, budgets, HR, billing and tuition, environment, programming, parent engagement and more.
• Offers consistent communication with emails about upcoming professional development opportunities, grants, DCF updates, and more.
• Has open office hours on a regular basis for you to ask questions and get to know other providers in the early childhood field.

Tier 3 Coach:

• Has years of experience and will meet with you on a regular basis, virtually or in-person.
• Provides input where you need it. This could be updating policies and handbooks, addressing enrollment or staff issues, creating employee training sessions, helping you work through paperwork audits, and more.
• Works with you to establish financial and program goals and offers support to help you be successful in achieving those goals.
• Connects you to Tier 3 services like back-office financial supports, substitute teachers, and Farm to ECE resources.

Tier 2 members get to connect with a Tier 2 Coach at least twice per year for check-ins.

Tier 3 members get to connect with their Tier 3 Coach on a regular basis, at least every six weeks, or more frequently as needed.

There are a limited number of spaces available in Tier 3 areas. Our goal is to bring in as many programs as our coaches have the capacity to assist.

The goal of WEESSN’s Farm to ECE programming is to make connections between ECE programs and local sources of nutrient-dense foods. WEESSN offers a monthly Farm to ECE newsletter highlighting food-based activities, recipes, and resources to use in your programming. WEESSN works with many other partners around the state to help subsidize healthy foods for child care programs when possible.

Docs By Phone (or Telemedicine) offers WEESSN members 24/7 access to doctors by phone, video, or mobile app. Doctors are board certified in Wisconsin, licensed to practice medicine, and write prescriptions. The program also includes a prescription discount card and mental health teletherapy services (10 visits a year).

For Tier 2 and Tier 3 programs, there is one free membership per program. Group programs may purchase additional memberships for a low fee per month ($8 per staff member for telehealth and $14 per staff member for telehealth and teletherapy).

Providers are covered, as well as any family members living in the household.

WEESSN Financial Specialists work with ECE programs to set up and oversee online billing and payment collection. WEESSN Financial Specialists can also assist with budgeting, strategic financial planning and more to support the financial side of running your business.

The Relief Squad is a team of experienced early educators who work as substitute teachers in WEESSN Tier 3 programs. The Relief Squad is meant for planned absences, such as a doctor’s appointment, but is not available for last-minute, time-off requests. The cost of utilizing the Relief Squad is $10 per hour.