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Published under s. 35.93, Wis. Stats., by the Legislative Reference Bureau. 17 DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES DCF 101.25 equivalency diploma and does not have an acceptable excuse un- der s. 118.15 (1) (b) to (d) or (3), Stats. (d) “Enrolled” means a child is officially registered to attend school. (e) “Excused absence” means that the reason for the absence meets the school district’s definition of a valid reason for the child not to attend school. (f) “Habitual truant” has the meaning given in s. 118.16 (1) (a), Stats. Note: “Habitual truant” is defined in s. 118.16 (1) (a), Stats., as “a pupil who is absent from school without an acceptable excuse under sub. (4) and s. 118.15 for part or all of 5 or more days on which school is held during a school semester.” (g) “High school equivalency diploma” means a certificate of educational achievement issued under s. 115.29 (4), Stats., and ch. PI 5 following completion of a course of study. (h) “Learnfare” means the program established under s. 49.26, Stats., and this section. (i) “Learnfare case management” means intervention for the purpose of assessing family needs, incorporating a plan to main- tain school enrollment and further school attendance into the learnfare case management plan and assisting in the implementa- tion of the plan for the purpose of maintaining school enrollment and furthering regular school attendance and career preparation by the child. (j) “Minor parent” means a child who is the parent of a depen- dent child. (k) “Returning dropout” means a child who was a dropout and reenrolled in school in the same semester in which the child dropped out of school or the immediately succeeding semester. (L) “School” has the meaning prescribed in s. 49.26 (1) (a) 2., Stats. (m) “School attendance officer” has the meaning prescribed in s. 118.16 (1) (b), Stats. (n) “School attendance requirement” means the child is en- rolled in school or was enrolled in the immediately preceding semester. (o) “School district” means the territorial unit for school ad- ministration as specified in s. 115.01 (3), Stats. and includes a nonresident school district approved under s. 118.51, Stats. (p) “Unexcused absence” means that the reason for the ab- sence does not meet the school district’s definition of a valid rea- son for the child not to attend school. (4) PARTICIPATION IN LEARNFARE. (a) A child shall meet the school attendance requirement except that a child who has gradu- ated from high school or received a high school equivalency diploma is exempt from the school attendance requirement under this section. (b) A child who is required to participate in learnfare under this section shall be considered to have failed to have met the school attendance requirement if the child is not enrolled in school or was not enrolled in the immediately preceding semester. (c) The child or the W-2 participant shall cooperate in provid- ing information needed to verify enrollment information or ex- emption reasons under sub. (7). If neither the child nor the W-2 participant cooperates, the W-2 participant shall be ineligible for a W-2 employment position. (d) Minor parents, dropouts, returning dropouts, and habitual truants shall participate in case management under sub. (8). (e) The dropout or the W-2 participant shall notify the agency of the dropout’s nonattendance at school in compliance with s. DCF 101.09 (2) (m). (5) AGENCY RESPONSIBILITIES. (a) The W-2 agency shall re- view enrollment and attendance information at all initial eligibil- ity determinations and at all reviews under s. DCF 101.16 (2) to (4). (b) The W-2 agency shall inform the W-2 employment posi- tion participant that the signature of the participant on the W-2 application constitutes permission for the release of school en- rollment and attendance information by the school district. (c) The W-2 agency shall request information from the school attendance officer in the child’s school district about the child’s enrollment and attendance in the school district’s current or most recently completed semester of attendance. (d) The W-2 agency shall use the enrollment and attendance information provided by a school to verify enrollment and atten- dance for a child. (e) The W-2 agency shall review a child’s claim that the child is exempt under sub. (7) from the school attendance requirement, determine if a child is required to participate in case management under sub. (8), and review a child’s claim that the child has a good cause reason under sub. (10) for not participating in case management. (f) The W-2 agency shall administer child care, including ap- plying the appropriate child care co-payment under s. 49.155 (5), Stats., and transportation funds under s. 49.26 (1) (e), Stats. Pay- ment for the cost of transportation to and from the child care provider shall be in the amount equal to the cost of transportation by the most appropriate means as determined by the department or the W-2 agency. (g) If the child or W-2 participant does not have the power to produce verification of enrollment or good cause for not partici- pating in case management, or requires assistance to do so, the W-2 agency shall proceed immediately to seek the verification. Note: See DCF 101.11, relating to verification. (6) SCHOOL DISTRICT RESPONSIBILITIES. (a) The school at- tendance officer shall provide information to the agency about the enrollment and attendance of a child who is enrolled in the public school in the school district within 5 working days after the date of receipt of the written request from the agency. (b) The requirement under 20 USC 1232g and s. 118.125 (2), Stats., that written consent be given for a school district to make available the enrollment and attendance records of a pupil shall be met in the case of a child in a W-2 group by the signature of the parent, guardian, caretaker or pupil on the W-2 application for initial eligibility or eligibility redetermination. (c) The school district shall define how many hours of atten- dance count as a full and part day and shall provide that defini- tion, upon request, to the agency. (7) EXEMPTION REASONS. (a) A child who is required to meet the school attendance requirement to meet the learnfare par- ticipation requirements under s. 49.26, Stats., shall comply except when exempt which shall be demonstrated by any of the follow- ing circumstances: 1. The minor parent is the caretaker of a child who is less than 45 days old. 2. The minor parent is the caretaker of a child who is 45 to 89 days old and the minor parent has a physician’s excuse or, child care for the minor parent’s child is required but there is no avail- able on-site day care at the school and the school has no home in- struction program. 3. The minor parent is the caretaker of a child who is 90 or more days old and the minor parent has a physician’s excuse. 4. Child care services for the minor parent’s child are neces- sary for the minor parent to attend school but child care licensed under s. 48.65, Stats., certified under s. 48.651, Stats., or estab- Published under s. 35.93, Stats. Updated on the first day of each month. Entire code is always current. The Register date on each page is the date the chapter was last published. Register May 2026 No. 845