If Wisconsin child care advocates have anything to say about it, the recent policy change in the Wisconsin Shares program is not child’s play.

The Walker administration’s recently-enacted changes mean child care subsidies for low-income families are now tied to whether the children actually attend day care. The Wisconsin Shares program helps low-income families pay for child care.

In the Interim Report on Waste, Fraud and Abuse released in July, state officials said the changes will save about $4 million for the state.

Representatives at the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families said the policy change should help cut waste and reduce fraud in the Wisconsin Shares program while ensuring that taxpayer dollars are used efficiently.

The state budget repair bill approved in June gives the agency the authority to cut costs in the Wisconsin Shares program by adjusting child care payments, implementing a waiting list, increasing co-payments and adjusting eligibility levels.

The policy change only applies to licensed child care providers, but local childcare advocates said the consequences will affect all involved in the service.

“Many parents simply cannot afford this extra cost, so they choose not to enroll in certified care. Currently they can find care in licensed homes, but with this rule change they may find they have no place to go,” said Bobbi Hibbard, president of the Wisconsin Family Child Care Association.

Dave Edie, an early education policy analyst for the Wisconsin Council on Children and Families, saw the policy change as another hit to licensed providers, who are already under a six-year freeze in payment from the state.

“Child care providers in general have seen increased costs without seeing an increase in payment,” Edie said. “Most providers are now charged more (in operating costs) than the state is willing to pay.”

“It just doesn’t make any sense to us,” he continued. “Public schools, Head Start (the federal education program for preschoolers from low-income families) and private child care providers would never operate this way.”

In a letter to the secretary of the Department of Children and Families, members of the Wisconsin Early Learning Coalition expressed concern that the policy change does not allow for case-by-case adjustment of subsidies.

Some children cannot attend daycare regularly because of illness or family issues, but their families will still lose child care benefits, Edie said.

“We agree with the state in that if parents aren’t bringing their children to daycare, taxpayers shouldn’t be paying for it,” Edie said. “But we feel the authorization for child care benefits should be adjusted only if there is a pattern of underuse.”

Some Wisconsin residents are opposed to the policy change as well, even though it will mean less taxpayer money lost on chronically absent children.

“Wisconsin is obviously in a tough spot financially speaking, but I don’t think cuts should come in the area of childhood education and services. It’s just too important.” said Jessie Bazan, a sophomore in the College of Communication and resident of nearby Whitefish Bay, Wis.

Edie said costs in the Wisconsin Shares program have dropped significantly prior to the policy change due to the economic downturn. Still, he is worried the state will continue to make cuts to the child care program.

“We are worried that the next step will be to do this to child care centers in Wisconsin,” he said.