Senate Bill 359 proposes to amend the regulations surrounding the hiring of assistant child care teachers in Wisconsin. Currently, individuals must be at least 18 or 17 years old, depending on their qualifications, to serve in this role. The new bill allows licensed child care centers to hire individuals as young as 16 years old, provided they have completed early childhood education training. The bill also maintains existing requirements for assistant child care teachers regarding their ability to provide sole supervision to groups of children, specifying that this can only occur in a full-day center if a qualified child care teacher is present.

Additionally, the bill outlines the qualifications necessary for assistant child care teachers, which include being at least 16 years old and completing specific early childhood education training within six months of starting the position. It clarifies the definitions of various roles within child care settings, such as "assistant child care teacher," "child care teacher," and "full-day center." The bill emphasizes that assistant child care teachers who are at least 18 years old and have completed the required training may provide sole supervision under certain conditions, ensuring that there is always a qualified adult present in the child care environment.