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 maintains existing requirements for assistant child care teachers regarding their ability to provide sole supervision to groups of children, but specifies that such supervision in full-day centers can only occur if a qualified child care teacher is present on the premises.

The bill introduces new definitions for key terms such as "assistant child care teacher," "child care teacher," "full-day center," "school-age program," and "school-age program leader." It outlines the requirements for assistant child care teachers, including the completion of specific early childhood education training within six months of starting the position. Additionally, it clarifies the conditions under which assistant child care teachers may provide sole supervision, emphasizing the necessity of having a qualified teacher or program leader present during these times.