Children & Families Support Program

Children Smiling

 

Children’s Long Term-Support (CLTS) and   Children’s Community Options Program (CCOP)

 

 

 

 

We are in need of respite care providers.           Providers can be Family, Neighbors, Friends, Relatives, School Aids, etc.  More information is below and through this link under the Direct Care Provider tab:  
https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/clts/provider-new.htm
 

More information on what CLTS is and what CLTS providers do is available through this link:
https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/publications/p03182.pdf
 

Contact Bridgitte Bodette at 608-524-7923 if you would like to become a respite care provider.

 

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Children’s Long-Term Support Medicaid Waivers

The CLTS Waiver was established in 2003 to help families support their children with severe disabilities within their homes.  Wisconsin has three CLTS Waivers for children with developmental disabilities, physical disabilities, and severe emotional disturbances.  The CLTS Waivers are funded through Medicaid and local funding.  They are known as Medicaid Waivers because the federal government “waived” certain regulations so that Medicaid dollars can pay for services in the community.  Funding can be used to support a range of different services based on an assessment of the needs of the child and his or her family.
 

Community Options Program

The COP was enacted in 1981 as an alternative to nursing home placements.  COP funds were used for community-based services necessary to assist an eligible individual to live in the community.  A new plan called Family Care was proposed in 1998 for consideration.  In 2006 Governor Doyle announced plans for Family Care expansion as a way to eliminate waiting lists for community-based long-term care programs over the following five years.  What remained of COP was shared between the needs of adults with mental health disabilities and children with disabilities.  There continued to be a significant waiting list.  In January 2016 the COP funding was split between these two groups.  The COP money for children transitioned into the Family Support funding to be renamed the Children’s Community Options Program.  The purpose of CCOP is to provide a coordinated approach to supporting families who have a child with a disability.  The intention is to better support, nurture, and facilitate self-determination, interdependence, and inclusion in all facets of community life for the child and family.
 

Who is eligible for the CLTS and CCOP?

The CLTS Waivers are available to children and youth under the age of 22 who have a developmental disability, physical disability, or severe emotional disturbance, and meets an eligible level of care based on the functional screen.  They are available in counties across Wisconsin.  Family is assessed a parental fee which contributes towards the cost of services.
 

What possible services do the CLTS Medicaid Waivers pay for?

The CLTS Waivers cover a broad range of services, depending on a child’s and family’s identified needs. Some examples of possible services include:

  • Adaptive aids
  • Service coordination
  • Supportive Home Care
  • Respite
  • Home modifications
  • Vehicle modifications
  • Foster care supplemental & exceptional rates

To Make a Referral or Find Out More Information,
please contact the Sauk County Department of Human Services at
608-355-4200.

 

For more information, please visit this State of Wisconsin web site.
https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/clts/index.htm

Newsletter: 
All In For Kids:  CLTS Program (English, Hmong, Spanish)  

https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/library/collection/akids26

Children's Long-Term Support

New Issue of All in for Kids Newsletter Available Online

The spring issue of the All in for Kids newsletter: CLTS is now available online in English (PDF), Hmong (PDF), and Spanish (PDF). This issue provides important Children's Long-Term Support (CLTS) Program updates, including:

  • Updates to Deciding Together: What families can expect
  • Family Spotlight: Meet Ryan from Milwaukee County
  • The CLTS Program wants to feature your family stories and photos:
    • Information on how to send in your family’s stories and photos
  • Information on how families can share their feedback on the CLTS Program waiver renewal
  • Information for families about the 2026 Circles of Life Conference: a time to learn, connect and grow
  • Importance of staying up to date on vaccines: what families need to know this season
  • Reminder that the CLTS Program Participant and Family Handbook is available to help you with the CLTS Program
  • Information about how families can appeal a CLTS Program decision
  • Helpful resources for participants and families
    • Governor Evers, together with the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families (DCF), launched Get Kids Ready, Wisconsin’s first-ever state-funded school readiness program for children who will be four years old on or before September 1, 2026.

In addition to being available online, the newsletter will also be printed and mailed to families with a child currently enrolled in the CLTS Program.

Counties are encouraged to share the All in for Kids newsletter with families and other community partners who may be interested.

About the newsletter

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services is committed to keeping families informed about the CLTS Program. Through the All in for Kids: CLTS Program newsletter, families can learn more about the CLTS Program, its policies, and other news.