The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported today that the governor is proposing a series of reforms, including addition of a quality rating system, to the Wisconsin Shares child care subsidy program. Several of the changes will be included in his budget proposal, which he is unveiling this evening.

In addition to the rating system, the reforms would:

• Limit the percentage of children in care related to the provider;

• Create a statewide fraud hotline;

• Cut the hours of operation for providers receiving subsidies to 12 hours from 16;

• Beef up training of county workers to recognize fraud or signs of other abuse of the program;

• Give greater authority to regulators to suspend child-care providers who falsify paperwork.

Gov. Doyle had earlier announced plans to fund a new fraud squad, and switch to a swipe-card system that would require parents to log their children in and out of day care centers electronically.

WCCF Executive Director Charity Eleson is quoted in the article as calling the quality rating system “an important first step.”