Care for mildly ill children will be in-home

Care for mildly ill children of eligible UW–Madison students, faculty and staff has switched from the Chicken Soup location at 3553 University Ave. to Maxim Healthcare, a contracted in-home provider, the Office of Child Care and Family Resources (OCCFR) has announced.

“Mildly ill” refers to children who are unable to attend their regular child care provider due to symptoms or illness. Families should check with their providers about their care exclusion guidelines.

Providing care for mildly ill children enables students, faculty and staff to attend class and continue work when they have no other local resources. Low utilization of mildly ill center-based services, rising costs and increasing numbers of non-vaccinated children were all factors in the decision to move to an in-home model of care. 

Eligibility to use Maxim services is determined by first applying for the “Kids Kare” program. For those who meet income and employment requirements, OCCFR provides funding assistance for these services. Once accepted into Kids Kare, eligible families can receive up to 12 hours a year of in-home mildly ill child care.

Additional benefits are available for backup care as well. Backup hourly care will continue to be provided by Chicken Soup at both the University Avenue location and at 601 N. Whitney Way, depending on the age of the child.

More information about the program, including the Kids Kare application, can be found on the Kids Kare Web page or by calling Jen Dittrich-Templin, parent resource specialist, at 265-9123.