Milwaukee Kinship Care Office and County Application Process

Why Milwaukee Works Differently

Wisconsin runs kinship care through a split system. In 71 of the state's 72 counties, your local County Human Services department handles applications, background checks, and monthly payments under Wis. Stat. § 48.57(3m). Milwaukee County is the exception. There, the state itself runs child welfare through the Division of Milwaukee Child Protective Services (DMCPS), which operates under direct authority from the Department of Children and Families (DCF).

If you're a grandparent or relative raising a child in Milwaukee, submit your Kinship Care application to DMCPS, not to a county social services office. For voluntary or private arrangements, use Form DCF-F-CFS2023-E; court-ordered out-of-home placements use Form DCF-F-2483-E. DMCPS processes both types of case and the background checks required under Wis. Stat. § 48.57(3p).

The statutory base rate is the same statewide: $384 per month per child for 2026 and 2027. Age-tiered rates under 2025 Wis. Act 15 reach up to $586 for children 15 and older where the local agency has implemented them.

Applying in Milwaukee County

For a voluntary or private arrangement, obtain Form DCF-F-CFS2023-E from the DCF website or request a copy from DMCPS intake; it is available in English, Hmong, and Spanish. For a court-ordered out-of-home placement, use Form DCF-F-2483-E. You'll need:

• The child's birth certificate and Social Security number
• Your photo ID and proof of Wisconsin residency
• Documentation of your relationship to the child (or evidence of a like-kin relationship under 2023 Wis. Act 119)
• A signed Power of Attorney (Form GF-223) or court order if applicable

Submit the completed application directly to DMCPS. Payments cannot be backdated before the date your signed application is officially received, so submit as early as possible.

After filing, every adult household member aged 18 or older will undergo mandatory criminal background checks, child abuse registry screenings, and fingerprint-based checks. Processing typically takes 30 to 45 calendar days.

Applying Outside Milwaukee (Balance of State)

In Wisconsin's other 71 counties, kinship care applications go to your County Human Services department. The forms and eligibility rules are identical — the difference is who processes them. Rural counties often have smaller caseloads, which can mean shorter wait times, but they also have fewer dedicated kinship staff.

To find the right county office, search for "[your county name] human services department" online, or call the Wisconsin Family Connections Center at 800-762-8063 for a referral.

Tribal nations administer their own kinship care programs through Tribal Child Welfare departments. If the child is enrolled in or eligible for enrollment in one of Wisconsin's eleven federally recognized tribes, the application may need to go through the tribal agency instead of (or alongside) the county.

What to Do if You're Unsure Which Office to Contact

Milwaukee residents should contact DMCPS directly. Everyone else starts with their county human services department. If you're caring for a child who was placed by the child welfare system under a court order, the agency that placed the child typically initiates the kinship care process.

For a full walkthrough of every financial program available — including BadgerCare Plus, FoodShare, Wisconsin Shares childcare subsidies, and how to handle the annual review — the Wisconsin Kinship Financial Help guide organizes the entire application sequence into one step-by-step system.

See more Wisconsin guides →