Page 14

July 1, 2026

13 their own using any of the four (4) ways to apply and are not required to follow this process when working with the child welfare agency.

This section last updated 10/1/2023

Section 3.2.1 Setting the Filing Date The filing date, also known as the Request for Assistance (RFA) date, is the date the local agency receives a signed application or program request. Only one (1) signature is needed, which may be received on an application or collected during the interview. The filing date is the first date that the parent could potentially receive benefits if eligible.

If the parent is applying by phone or in person and does not complete a signature prior to the interview, the agency worker must advise the applicant that the filing date will be the date the signature is received (see 3.4).

The filing date for ACCESS applications is the date the local agency receives the application unless it is submitted after 4:30 p.m. If the ACCESS request is submitted after 4:30 p.m., the filing date is the next business day, according to the CARES calendar.

This section last updated 12/1/2022

Section 3.3 Interview When a parent applies for Wisconsin Shares, the agency worker must schedule the interview to occur no later than five (5) business days after the receipt of the application. Parents must complete an interview during the application and renewal process. In a two-parent household, either parent can complete the interview.

Interviews may be held either face-to-face or by telephone. The agency worker must hold a face-to-face interview if requested by the parent.

For telephone interviews, the agency worker must contact the applicant at the scheduled interview time using the telephone number that was confirmed in the interview appointment notice.

If the first attempt to contact the applicant is unsuccessful, the agency worker must attempt to contact the applicant again within 30 minutes of the first call. If the second attempt is unsuccessful, the agency worker must document in case comments (see 12.1) that the applicant was unavailable at the appointment time and indicate when the follow up call was made. A notice must be sent to the parent indicating that the agency worker attempted the interview and the parent was not available. This can be done through the Notice of Child Care Missed Interview (NCMI) when Integrated Client Scheduler (ICS) is used in CWW or through a manual notice.