Wis. Stat. § 48.57 — WI Code / Chapter 48 / Section 48.57
Powers and duties of department and county departments providing child welfare services.
Status: in_force

(1) Each county department shall administer and expend such amounts as may be necessary out of any moneys which may be appropriated for child welfare purposes by the county board of supervisors or by the legislature, which may be donated by individuals or private organizations or which may be otherwise provided. The department shall have the authority specified in s. 48.48 (17) . A county department shall have the authority:

(a) To investigate the conditions surrounding nonmarital children, children in need of protection or services, including developmentally disabled children, and unborn children in need of protection or services within the county and to take every reasonable action within its power to secure for them the full benefit of all laws enacted for their benefit. Unless provided by another agency, the county department shall offer social services to the caretaker of any child, and to the expectant mother of any unborn child, who is referred to it under the conditions specified in this paragraph. This duty shall be discharged in cooperation with the court and with the public officers or boards legally responsible for the administration and enforcement of those laws.

(b) To accept legal custody of children transferred to it by the court under s. 48.355 , to accept supervision over expectant mothers of unborn children who are placed under its supervision under s. 48.355 and to provide special treatment or care for children and expectant mothers if ordered by the court. A court may not order a county department to administer psychotropic medications to children and expectant mothers who receive special treatment or care under this paragraph.

(c) To provide appropriate protection and services for children and the expectant mothers of unborn children in its care, including providing services for those children and their families and for those expectant mothers in their own homes, placing those children in licensed foster homes or group homes in this state or similar facilities regulated in another state within a reasonable proximity to the agency with legal custody, placing those children in the homes of guardians under s. 48.977 (2) , placing those children in a qualifying residential family-based treatment facility, or in a similar facility regulated in another state, or contracting for services for those children by licensed child welfare agencies in this state or a child welfare agency regulated in another state, except that the county department may not purchase the educational component of private day treatment programs unless the county department, the school board, as defined in s. 115.001 (7) , and the state superintendent of public instruction all determine that an appropriate public education program is not available. Disputes between the county department and the school district shall be resolved by the state superintendent of public instruction.

(d) To provide for the moral and religious training of children in its care according to the religious belief of the child or of his or her parents.

(e) If a county department in a county with a population of 750,000 or more and if contracted to do so by the department, to place children in a county children’s home in the county under policies adopted by the county board of supervisors, to accept guardianship of children when appointed by the court and to place children under its guardianship for adoption.

(f) To provide services to the court under s. 48.06 .

(g) Upon request of the department or the department of corrections, to provide service for any child or expectant mother of an unborn child in the care of those departments.

(h) To contract with any parent or guardian or other person for the care and maintenance of any child.

(hm) If a county department in a county with a population of less than 750,000, to accept guardianship, when appointed by the court, of a child whom the county department has placed in a foster home under a court order or voluntary agreement under s. 48.63 and to place that child under its guardianship for adoption by the foster parent.

(i) To license foster homes in accordance with s. 48.75 .

(j) To use in the media a picture or description of a child in its guardianship for the purpose of finding adoptive parents for that child.

(2) In performing the functions specified in sub. (1) the county department may avail itself of the cooperation of any individual or private agency or organization interested in the social welfare of children and unborn children in the county.

(2m) A county department, as soon as practicable after learning that a person who is receiving child welfare services under sub. (1) from the county department has changed his or her county of residence, shall provide notice of that change to the county department of the person’s new county of residence or, if that new county of residence is a county having a population of 750,000 or more, the department. The notice shall include a brief, written description of the services offered or provided to the person by the county department and the name, telephone number, and address of a person to contact for more information.

(3)

(a) From the reimbursement received under s. 46.495 (1) (d) , counties may provide funding for the maintenance of any child who:

1. Is 18 years of age or older;

2. Is enrolled in and regularly attending a secondary education classroom program leading to a high school diploma;

3. Received funding under s. 48.569 (1) (d) or under s. 46.495 (1) (d) , 2005 stats., immediately prior to his or her 18th birthday; and

4. Is living in a foster home, group home, residential care center for children and youth, subsidized guardianship home, qualifying residential family-based treatment facility, or a similar facility regulated in another state or in a supervised independent living arrangement.

(b) The funding provided for the maintenance of a child under par. (a) shall be in an amount equal to that which the child would receive under s. 48.569 (1) (d) if the child were 17 years of age.

(3m)

(a) In this subsection:

1. “Child” means a person under 18 years of age. “Child” also includes a person 18 years of age or over, if any of the following applies:

a. The person is under 19 years of age, is a full-time student in good academic standing at a secondary school or its vocational or technical equivalent, and is reasonably expected to complete his or her program of study and be granted a high school or high school equivalency diploma.

b. The person is under 21 years of age, the person is a full-time student in good academic standing at a secondary school or its vocational or technical equivalent, an individualized education program under s. 115.787 is in effect for the person, and the person is placed in the home of the kinship care provider under an order under s. 48.355 , 48.357 , 48.365 , 938.355 , 938.357 , or 938.365 that terminates under s. 48.355 (4) (b) or 938.355 (4) (am) after the person attains 18 years of age or under a voluntary transition-to-independent-living agreement under s. 48.366 (3) or 938.366 (3) .

2. “Kinship care provider” means a relative other than a parent, an extended family member, as defined in s. 48.028 (2) (am) , or like-kin.

(am) From the appropriations under s. 20.437 (2) (dz) , (md) , (me) , and (s) , the department shall reimburse counties having populations of less than 750,000 for payments made under this subsection and shall make payments under this subsection in a county having a population of 750,000 or more. Subject to par. (ap) , a county department and, in a county having a population of 750,000 or more, the department shall make payments in the amount of $384 per month beginning on January 1, 2026, to a kinship care provider who is providing care and maintenance for a child if all of the following conditions are met:

1. The kinship care provider applies to the county department or department for payments under this subsection and, if the child is placed in the home of the kinship care provider under a court order, other than a court order under s. 48.9795 or ch. 54 , 2017 stats., for a license to operate a foster home.

1m. The county department or department determines that there is a need for the child to be placed with the kinship care provider and that the placement with the kinship care provider is in the best interests of the child.

2. The county department or department determines that the child meets one or more of the criteria specified in s. 48.13 or 938.13 , that the child would be at risk of meeting one or more of those criteria if the child were to remain in his or her home or, if the child is 18 years of age or over, that the child would meet or be at risk of meeting one or more of those criteria as specified in this subdivision if the child were under 18 years of age.

4. The county department or department conducts a background investigation under sub. (3p) of the kinship care provider, any employee and prospective employee of the kinship care provider who has or would have regular contact with the child for whom the payments would be made and any other adult resident of the kinship care provider’s home to determine if the kinship care provider, employee, prospective employee or adult resident has any arrests or convictions that could adversely affect the child or the kinship care provider’s ability to care for the child.

4m. Subject to sub. (3p) (fm) 1. and 2. , the kinship care provider states that he or she does not have any arrests or convictions that could adversely affect the child or the kinship care provider’s ability to care for the child and that no adult resident, as defined in sub. (3p) (a) , and no employee or prospective employee of the kinship care provider who would have regular contact with the child has any arrests or convictions that could adversely affect the child or the kinship care provider’s ability to care for the child.

5. The kinship care provider cooperates with the county department or department in the application process, including applying for other forms of assistance for which the child may be eligible.

5m. The kinship care provider is not receiving payments under sub. (3n) with respect to the child.

6. The child for whom the kinship care provider is providing care and maintenance is not receiving supplemental security income under 42 USC 1381 to 1383c or state supplemental payments under s. 49.77 .

(ap)

1. Subject to subds. 2. and 3. , the county department or, in a county having a population of 750,000 or more, the department may make payments under par. (am) to a kinship care provider who is providing care and maintenance for a child who is placed in the home of the kinship care provider under a court order for no more than 60 days after the date on which the county department or department received under par. (am) 1. the completed application of the kinship care provider for a license to operate a foster home or, if the application is approved or denied or the kinship care provider is otherwise determined to be ineligible for licensure within those 60 days, until the date on which the application is approved or denied or the kinship care provider is otherwise determined to be ineligible for licensure.

2. If the application specified in subd. 1. is not approved or denied or the kinship care provider is not otherwise determined to be ineligible for licensure within 60 days after the date on which the county department or department received the completed application for any reason other than an act or omission of the kinship care provider, the county department or department may make payments under par. (am) for 4 months after the date on which the county department or department received the completed application or, if the application is approved or denied or the kinship care provider is otherwise determined to be ineligible for licensure within those 4 months, until the date on which the application is approved or denied or the kinship care provider is otherwise determined to be ineligible for licensure.

3. Notwithstanding that an application of a kinship care provider specified in subd. 1. is denied or the kinship care provider is otherwise determined to be ineligible for licensure, the county department or, in a county having a population of 750,000 or more, the department may make payments under par. (am) to the kinship care provider for as long as the conditions specified in par. (am) 1. to 6. continue to apply if the county department or department submits to the court information relating to the background investigation specified in par. (am) 4. , an assessment of the safety of the kinship care provider’s home and the ability of the kinship care provider to care for the child, and a recommendation that the child remain in the home of the kinship care provider and the court, after considering that information, assessment, and recommendation, orders the child to remain in the kinship care provider’s home. If the court does not order the child to remain in the kinship care provider’s home, the court shall order the county department or department to request a change in placement under s. 48.357 (1) (am) or 938.357 (1) (am) . Any person specified in s. 48.357 (2m) (a) or 938.357 (2m) (a) may also request a change in placement.

(b)

1. The county department or, in a county having a population of 750,000 or more, the department shall refer to the attorney responsible for support enforcement under s. 59.53 (6) (a) the name of the parent or parents of a child for whom a payment is made under par. (am) . This subdivision does not apply to a child 18 years of age or over for whom a payment is made under par. (am) .

2. When any kinship care provider of a child applies for or receives payments under this subsection, any right of the child or the child’s parent to support or maintenance from any other person accruing during the time that payments are made under this subsection is assigned to the state. If a child who is the beneficiary of a payment under this subsection is also the beneficiary of support under a judgment or order that includes support for one or more children who are not the beneficiaries of payments under this subsection, any support payment made under the judgment or order is assigned to the state in the amount that is the proportionate share of the child who is the beneficiary of the payment made under this subsection, except as otherwise ordered by the court on the motion of a party.

(c) The county department or, in a county having a population of 750,000 or more, the department shall require the parent or parents of a child for whom a payment is made under par. (am) to initiate or continue health care insurance coverage for the child.

(cm) A kinship care provider who receives a payment under par. (am) for providing care and maintenance for a child is not eligible to receive a payment under sub. (3n) or s. 48.62 (4) or 48.623 (1) or (6) for that child.

(d) A county department or, in a county having a population of 750,000 or more, the department shall review a placement of a child for which the county department or department makes payments under par. (am) not less than every 12 months after the county department or department begins making those payments to determine whether the conditions specified in par. (am) continue to exist. If those conditions do not continue to exist, the county department or department shall discontinue making those payments.

(e) The department shall determine whether the child is eligible for medical assistance under ss. 49.43 to 49.471 .

(f) Any person whose application for payments under par. (am) is not acted on promptly, is denied on the grounds that a condition specified in par. (am) 1. , 1m. , 2. , 5. , 5m. , or 6. has not been met, or is denied following a review under sub. (3p) (h) on the grounds that a condition specified in par. (am) 4. or 4m. has not been met, and any person whose payments under par. (am) are discontinued under par. (d) , may petition the department under par. (g) for a review of that action or failure to act. Review is unavailable if the action or failure to act arose more than 45 days before submission of the petition for review.

(g)

1. Upon receipt of a timely petition under par. (f) the department shall give the applicant or recipient reasonable notice and an opportunity for a fair hearing. The department may make such additional investigation as it considers necessary. Notice of the hearing shall be given to the applicant or recipient and to the county department or subunit of the department whose action or failure to act is the subject of the petition. That county department or subunit of the department may be represented at the hearing. The department shall render its decision as soon as possible after the hearing and shall send a certified copy of its decision to the applicant or recipient and to the county department or subunit of the department whose action or failure to act is the subject of the petition. The decision of the department shall have the same effect as an order of the county department or subunit of the department whose action or failure to act is the subject of the petition. The decision shall be final, but may be reviewed under ss. 227.52 to 227.58 or revoked or modified as altered conditions may require. The department shall deny a petition for review or shall refuse to grant relief if any of the following applies:

a. The petitioner withdraws the petition in writing.

b. The sole issue in the petition concerns an automatic payment adjustment or change that affects an entire class of recipients and is the result of a change in state law.

c. The petitioner abandons the petition. Abandonment occurs if the petitioner fails to appear in person or by a representative at a scheduled hearing without good cause, as determined by the department.

2. If a recipient requests a hearing within 10 days after the date of notice that his or her payments under par. (am) are being discontinued, those payments may not be discontinued until a decision is rendered after the hearing but payments made pending the hearing decision may be recovered by the department if the contested action or failure to act is upheld. The department shall promptly notify the county department of the county in which the recipient resides or, if the recipient resides in a county having a population of 750,000 or more, the subunit of the department administering of the kinship care program in that county that the recipient has requested a hearing. Payments under par. (am) shall be discontinued if any of the following applies:

a. The recipient is contesting a state law or a change in state law and not the determination of the payment made on the recipient’s behalf.

b. The recipient is notified of a change in his or her payments under par. (am) while the hearing decision is pending but the recipient fails to request a hearing on the change.

3. The recipient shall be promptly informed in writing if his or her payments under par. (am) are to be discontinued pending the hearing decision.

(h) A county department or, in a county having a population of 750,000 or more, the department may recover an overpayment made under par. (am) from a kinship care provider who continues to receive payments under par. (am) by reducing the amount of the kinship care provider’s monthly payment. The department may by rule specify other methods for recovering overpayments made under par. (am) . A county department that recovers an overpayment under this paragraph due to the efforts of its officers and employees may retain a portion of the amount recovered, as provided by the department by rule.

(i) The department shall promulgate rules to implement this subsection. Those rules shall include all of the following: