Adult Family Homes: Memos and Publications
New online licensure and certification system for health and residential care providers
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) Division of Quality Assurance (DQA) launched the DHS DQA Provider Portal, a new online system for licensure/certification, background checks, plan reviews, and other provider applications for certain users. Visit our webpage for more information.
Portal outage
Routine system maintenance is happening on Sunday, January 11, 2026, at 9 p.m. for up to 3 hours. The DHS DQA Provider Portal and associated systems will be unavailable during this time. We appreciate your understanding and support.
This page includes helpful resources related to adult family homes. Publications are files or websites with additional information. Division of Quality Assurance (DQA) numbered memos are documents that deal with:
- Adult family home policies.
- Guidelines for adult family homes regulated by DQA.
- Information and interpretation of federal and state regulations.
Questions? Email dhswebmaildqa@dhs.wisconsin.gov.
Publications
- Falls in Assisted Living Facilities, P-00994 (PDF) - Information on assessing fall risk, preventing falls, and more.
- Hot Water Temperatures in Adult Family Homes, P-01942 (PDF) - Learn temperature settings to comply with regulations for avoiding hot water burns.
- Pharmacy Newscapsule - Newsletter published regularly by DQA.
- Quality Assurance and Quality Improvement in Assisted Living, P-03075 (PDF) - Read recommendations for quality care and the results of an online assessment survey.
- Reporting Requirements for Assisted Living Facilities, P-02007 (PDF) - Use this reference to determine when statutes and codes require you to report certain incidents.
Memos
Memos from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS)
View our Memos Library to access a wealth of communications issued by DHS regarding policies and procedures and how they should be put into action.
DQA numbered memos
Select a link to view the memo. You can also view the list of all DQA Memos.
For an official paper copy of any numbered memo, email or write:
- Email dhswebmaildqa@dhs.wisconsin.gov.
Mailing address
DQA Administrator's Office201 E. Washington Ave., Room E300Madison, WI 53703
| Memo number | Title | Issue date Sort ascending | Discontinued date | Attachments | Edit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25-001 | Background Check Renewals for Entity Operators & Non-Client Residents | ||||
| 23-004 | Residential Crisis Stabilization Facilities Licensure/Certification | ||||
| 23-002 | Fire Watch, Fire Plan, and Fire Reporting Update | ||||
| 21-008 | Prohibited Restraints and Restrictive Measures in Community-Based Programs and Facilities | ||||
| 21-002 | Notice and Requirements for Submitting Four-Year Renewal of Licensee Background Check Information | ||||
| 20-009 | Licensure/Certification Application for Temporary Assisted Living Facility Expansion Units and Transfer Options during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency State | ||||
| 20-006 | Use of Remote Support Providers in Regulated Adult Family Homes |