SB 992 Wisconsin Senate · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Relating to: references to like-kin under the Wisconsin Shares program.

SB 992 clarifies and expands eligibility for Wisconsin's child care subsidy program (Shares) to include "like-kin" caregivers - non-biological individuals who have formed family-like bonds with children. It directly affects caregivers who provide regular care for children under court orders but aren't blood relatives, such as close family friends or guardians. Key changes include updating definitions to explicitly include "like-kin" in subsidy eligibility, adjusting income calculations to count certain court-ordered payments, and ensuring these caregivers qualify for subsidies when meeting income thresholds. The bill makes no new funding commitments but streamlines access to existing child care support for these families.
Bill status failed 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2026
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Feb 6, 2026 Last action Mar 23, 2026
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Feb 6, 2026
Introduced
Introduced by Senators Smith, Dassler-Alfheim, Drake, Habush Sinykin, Hesselbein, L. Johnson, Larson, Ratcliff, Roys and Spreitzer; cosponsored by Representatives Billings, Joers, Anderson, Andraca, Arney, Bare, Brown, Clancy, DeSanto, DeSmidt, Emerson, Fitzgerald, Goodwin, Hong, J. Jacobson, Johnson, Kirsch, Madison, Mayadev, McCarville, Miresse, Moore Omokunde, Neubauer, Palmeri, Phelps, Rivera-Wagner, Roe, Sheehan, Sinicki, Snodgrass, Spaude, Stroud, Stubbs, Subeck, Tenorio, Udell and Vining
upper
10 primary · 0 co-sponsors

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