Certified Direct Care Professional (CDCP)

A free program that teaches skills and offers job opportunities

Do you want to make life better for older adults and people who have a disability? You can help by providing care.

DHS is developing a new program to train Certified Direct Care Professionals (CDCP). The certification system teaches essential skills direct care workers can use in many roles. The certification lets employers know workers have the skills and professionalism to succeed in their jobs. The goal is to certify at least 10,000 new workers in the profession of direct care.

The curriculum, developed by the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay, prepares job seekers to enter the caregiving workforce. It's the first step on a career ladder that offers future opportunities and growth. See how Wisconsin’s CDCP competencies (PDF)compare to other state and national programs.

The program is expected to launch in early 2023. Participants will:

Receive free online training and certification testing
Be eligible to earn bonuses up to $500
Become qualified to work in a variety of settings
Connect with employers across Wisconsin
Learn essential skills to succeed in a caregiving career
Be added to the Wisconsin Certified Direct Care Professional Registry

Download the program fact sheet: English (PDF) | Hmong (PDF) | Spanish (PDF)

Let us know! What training and resources would help you?

What does a CDCP do?

The role of a CDCP may include, depending on individual needs:

Helping with personal care, like bathing, dressing, grooming, eating, moving, toileting, and exercising
Providing supportive home care, such as supervision and monitoring, household tasks like laundry or yard work, as well as errands and accompanying the participant on outings

Workplace opportunities for CDCPs include:

Home and and community-based services (HCBS)
Nonmedical in-home care
One-on-one care (IRIS)
1-2 bed adult family home
3-4 bed adult family home
Community-based residential care facilities (CBRF)

Coming Soon: Updated workforce platform, WisCaregiver Connections

A one-stop career resource for employers and job seekers

Building on the success of WisCaregiver Careers, we are expanding our free online platform to include a wider range of caregiving careers and opportunities. For example, once the new Direct Care Professional (DCP) program is launched, candidates who earn certification will be able to connect to potential employees.

WisCaregiver Careers will continue to be a free program that provides jobs, training, incentives, and rewards to encourage people of all ages and backgrounds to experience the satisfaction of a career in health care.

We are now recruiting eligible agencies to join our free provider registry, WisCaregiver Connections, which will make it easy for CDCPs to connect with you after completing their training. The platform will allow you to:

Post job openings
Automatically match with job seekers
Screen candidate profiles and credentialing details

Plus, when you join the registry, your current staff will also be eligible to become CDCPs and receive bonuses, too!

Providers: join WisCaregiver Connections

WisCaregiver Careers CNA Program

WisCaregiver Careers is a workforce development program. It addresses the shortage of certified nursing assistants (CNAs) in the state by supporting recruitment, training, and retention of individuals to care for nursing home residents across Wisconsin. The program is administered by the Wisconsin Health Care Association and LeadingAge Wisconsin. It offers:

Free nurse aide training
Free nurse aide certification testing
$500 retention bonus after six months of employment as a nurse aide

To learn more or to register for the program, visit WisCaregiver Careers or contact a participating employer nursing home directly. FoodShare recipients can also join the program through their local FoodShare Employment and Training (FSET) agency.

In 2016, Wisconsin’s chief economist warned of a looming shortage in the health care workforce. At the time, nursing homes reported one in seven caregiver positions were unfilled. Wisconsin’s Division of Quality Assurance and Division of Medicaid Services created the WisCaregiver Careers Program to help fill this gap.

WisCaregiver Careers launched in 2018 to attract and keep nurse aides in the state’s workforce. To do that, the program costs were lowered and training was made more accessible. Today, this successful program has been expanded to increase its impact and reach.

Civil Money Penalty (CMP) Reinvestment Program Grant, 2018-2021

DHS used this grant to help launch the WisCaregiver Careers program in 2018. It also received federal approval to invest $2.3 million in the program. Read about the success of the WisCaregiver Careers Program, P-02531 (PDF)

Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development Fast Forward/CMP Grant, 2020-2022

Under this grant, DHS partnered with the Wisconsin Health Care Association and LeadingAge Wisconsin to address the CNA shortage in state nursing homes. Through the partnership, new workers were offered free training, certification testing, and sign-on or retention bonuses.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Grant, 2022-2024

A $6 million investment, funded through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Nursing Home & Long-term Care Facility Strike Team program, will expand the current program, including recruiting qualified employers to host new CNA training slots. Funds will support employee recruitment and success through retention bonuses, employer reimbursement, success bonuses, and mentorships.