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Corporate Guardianship

A corporate guardianship is a private non-profit corporation or an unincorporated association established to provide guardianship services for individuals, age 17 years and 9 months or older, who a court determined to be incompetent. Courts appoint corporate guardianship agencies to an individual, who is referred to as a ward, when no suitable individual is available and willing to serve as guardian.

Each July, corporate guardianships submit an annual report to the Corporate Guardianship Program (CGP). As of June 30, 2024:

  • There were 111 corporate guardianships.
  • Corporate guardianships served 6473 wards.

Between July 1, 2023 and June 30, 2024, corporate guardianships served 482 wards through temporary guardianship appointments. Temporary guardianships are defined as a guardianship with a duration limit of 60 days.

The Division of Quality Assurance (DQA) provides information about corporate guardianships. DQA webpages also provide information, guidance, and materials for those involved in the application process to become a corporate guardian.

Finding and choosing corporate guardianship

Contact us

For questions regarding corporate guardianships, you can contact the DQA:

Grievances

Wards and interested parties have the right to file a grievance with the ward's corporate guardianship as a first step in resolving concerns. Corporate guardianships are required to receive grievances orally, in writing, and by any alternative method the person ordinarily uses to communicate per Wis. Admin. Code § DHS 94.41(1)(b).

To learn about filing a grievance or obtain a copy of corporate guardianship's grievance procedures, you can communicate with the ward's guardian representative or contact the corporate guardianship's contact person listed in the corporate guardianship directory (PDF) at the listed phone number, email, or postal mailing address.

Complaints

The wards of corporate guardians have rights as outlined in Wis. Admin. Code § DHS 85.13 in addition to rights outlined at Wis. Stat. § 54.42, which are for all wards regardless of guardian type. DQA approves entities to act as corporate guardians in the state of Wisconsin. If you feel that a corporate guardian is not serving in the best interest of the ward(s), or that a ward is being abused or exploited in any way, you may file a complaint.

Find out if the guardian is a corporate or non-corporate guardian. Search the Corporate Guardianship Directory (PDF).

Filing a complaint against a non-corporate guardian

If the guardian isn't a corporate guardian and doesn't appear on the Corporate Guardianship Directory, DQA doesn't have the authority to investigate the complaint. Complaints against non-corporate guardians may be directed to one of the following:

Filing a complaint against a corporate guardian

If the guardian is an approved corporate guardian, you may file a complaint in the following ways:

Be prepared to provide information regarding the nature of the complaint including:

  • Your name, address, and phone number so that DQA may contact you for follow up. You may request to remain anonymous; however, the investigation may be incomplete if you can't be contacted for more information.
  • The name and address of the corporate guardian.
  • The name of the ward or wards who have been affected.
  • The exact nature of the incident or alleged wrongdoing. Provide as much detail as possible about:
    • Who was affected.
    • When the incident occurred.
    • Where the incident occurred.
    • How the ward was affected/harmed.
    • How you became aware of the incident/allegation.
  • A description of the type and level of harm to the ward (physical, emotional, financial, etc.).
  • Names and contact information for other parties who could provide more details about the incident/allegation.

Related topics

Glossary

 
Last revised February 21, 2025