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Children's Long-Term Support: What are the rules when delivering services?

Children’s Long-Term Support (CLTS) Program providers deliver vital services to help kids thrive at home or in their community. Families should have a positive and consistent experience with the CLTS Program. We have rules about how services are delivered and how providers work with families.

County waiver agencies (CWAs) monitor service quality and help resolve any issues that may come up.

 Follow program rules and standards

CLTS program providers are required to know and understand all program rules to follow as you deliver your services. Here are resources to get familiar with:

CWAs are responsible for maintaining program standards and identifying widespread issues that may need Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) enforcement. Here are some examples of issues with standards that CWAs monitor for:

  • Fraudulent behavior, such as billing for services that a child didn’t get.
  • Violation of participant rights, such as the use of restrictive measures.
  • Health and safety violations, such as facility hazards that can cause serious injury to a participant.
  • Service misalignment, such as providing services not covered by the CLTS Program.

 Deliver quality services

CLTS Program providers must deliver quality services in line with program rules and standards.

CWAs are responsible for ensuring participants and families are getting good service. They monitor feedback from families about provider conduct, training, and effectiveness. Here are some examples of concerns that might be reported to CWAs about service delivery:

  • Unprofessional conduct
    • My provider is often late for our appointments.
    • I can never get in contact with my provider.
    • Our child’s caregiver uses inappropriate language.
  • Inadequate training
    • I don’t always know what my child will be working on each day, it seems to change every time we meet.
    • My provider doesn’t understand my child’s needs.
    • I’m not sure if my caregiver knows how to provide respite.
  • Service effectiveness
    • The support I get from this CLTS Program provider is not helping me anymore.
    • My child has not progressed toward their goals since getting this service.
    • I think my child should be getting a different service.

 Report issues with health and safety

CLTS Program providers are required to report incidents that could harm a child to CWAs. CWAs report these incidents to DHS and work with you and the family to reduce further risk. They may make changes to the participant’s service plan and take other actions as necessary.

 Work with CWAs to solve issues

If an issue is identified, the CWA will work together with you and the family to resolve concerns. This might include repairing relationships, defining expectations, and reaching solutions.

If your services are not meeting the child’s needs, the family might request a new caregiver or agency. The CWA will work with families to resolve any issues with service quality.

If DHS finds you have violated program requirements or issues are not correctable, you may be terminated from the CLTS Program network. Termination can happen when the issue meets the criteria defined in Wis. Admin. Code § DHS 106.06. If you are terminated, you will:

  • Get an official notice.
  • Become inactive and removed from the CLTS Program Directory.
  • Have your Medicaid enrollment ended on the date of termination.

Glossary

 
Last revised January 28, 2026