Assembly Bill 348 proposes to amend the current regulations regarding the minimum age for assistant child care teachers in Wisconsin. Under the existing law, 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 assistant child care teachers if they are at least 16 years old and have completed early childhood education training. This change aims to expand the pool of potential candidates for these positions while maintaining the requirement that assistant child care teachers can only provide sole supervision to children under specific conditions, such as having a qualified child care teacher present.
The bill also clarifies the definitions of key terms related to child care roles and outlines the requirements for assistant child care teachers. Specifically, it stipulates that these individuals must complete certain educational criteria within six months of starting their position. Additionally, it maintains the current law's provisions regarding the conditions under which assistant child care teachers can provide sole supervision, ensuring that there is always a qualified professional on the premises during their supervision periods.