The Economic Support Unit manages financial assistance programs to help residents sustain and/or improve their quality-of-life through helping meet basic living and healthcare needs. The programs that are managed by this unit include the following federally-funded programs:

• BadgerCare Plus (BC+)

• Medicaid for the Elderly, Blind, or Disabled

• FoodShare Wisconsin

• Caretaker Supplement (CTS)

• Wisconsin Shares – Child Care subsidy

• Child Care Certification

For more information on how to become a Certified Child Care Provider, call Iowa County Dept. of Social Services at 1 (608) 930-9801

• Information for Child Care Providers can be obtained at Family Connections of Southwest Wisconsin

• Your Guide to Regulated Child Care

• Are you looking for a Child Care Provider?

Informational Resources for Wisconsin Shares and YoungStar:

Wisconsin Shares Brochures ( https://dcf.wisconsin.gov/wishares/parents ):

• Improving the Way Your Family Pays for Child Care (DCF-P-5099)
• Eligibility Guidelines (DCF-P-5186)
• Understanding Your Authorization Notice
• Rights and Responsibilities
• Preventing MyWIChildCare Fraud

YoungStar Brochures ( https://dcf.wisconsin.gov/youngstar/parents/resources ) :

• Give Your Child a Great Start
• How to Read the Stars

YoungStar Fact Sheets ( https://dcf.wisconsin.gov/youngstar/parents/resources ) :

• Interviewing Providers: What to Ask Before You Choose
• Reading the Stars: Choosing Child Care with YoungStar
• Finding Child Care for Children with Special Needs
• Getting the Most Out of Child Care: Family Engagement
• Your Child's Nutrition: At Home & Away from Home
• Know the Milestones: Monitoring Your Child's Development

Wisconsin Home Energy (WHEAP)

• WHEAP Information
• To apply for WHEAP, call Iowa County Dept. of Social Services at 1 (608) 930-9801.

To apply for all forms of BadgerCare Plus, Medicaid, Child Care and FoodShare you can do the following:

To apply by phone , call the Southern Consortium Call Center* at 1 (888) 794-5780 between 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Friday. Call Thursdays between 11:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

To apply in person , visit the Iowa County Dept. of Social Services.

To apply by mail , request/complete an application for each program you are applying for and send the completed application and any proof/verification to:

CDPU

PO Box 5234

Janesville, WI 53547-5234

or Fax to: 1 (855) 293-1822

or Drop off in person at:

Iowa County Dept. of Social Services

303 W. Chapel Street, Suite 2300

Dodgeville, WI 53533

To Report Fraud, click here to file a complaint :

- Wisconsin Shares Child Care, W-2, Adoption Assistance, Kinship Care and Refugee Services or 1 (877) 302-3728

- Medicaid, BadgerCare Plus, WIC or FoodShare Program or 1 (877) 865-3432

*A consortium is made up of a group of county agencies that determine enrollment and ongoing case management. You can request services at any of the county agencies within your consortium. The following counties are part of the Southern Consortium:

Crawford, Grant, Green, Iowa, Jefferson, Lafayette, and Rock.

You can also call the Southern Consortium Call Center 1 (888) 794-5780 to:

• Get information about programs & eligibility or ask questions about your case,
• Set eligibility filing date for programs,
• Complete your interactive interview or schedule an intake interview appointment,
• Process eligibility renewals for ongoing benefits,
• Report address, income, expense, and asset changes,
• Report anyone moving in/out of the household, or
• Report pregnancy and pregnancy end.