2017 Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations
Chapter 48. Children's code.
48.545 Brighter futures initiative.
48.545 Brighter futures initiative.
(1) Definitions. In this section:
(a) “Nonprofit corporation" means a nonstock, nonprofit corporation organized under ch. 181.
(b) “Public agency" means a county, city, village, town or school district or an agency of this state or of a county, city, village, town or school district.
(2) Awarding of grants.
(a) From the appropriations under s. 20.437 (1) (eg), (kb), and (nL), the department, subject to par. (am), shall distribute $2,097,700 in each fiscal year to applying nonprofit corporations and public agencies operating in a county having a population of 750,000 or more, $1,171,800 in each fiscal year to applying county departments under s. 46.22, 46.23, 51.42, or 51.437 operating in counties other than a county having a population of 750,000 or more, and $55,000 in each fiscal year to Diverse and Resilient, Inc. to provide programs to accomplish all of the following:
NOTE: Par. (a) (intro.) is shown as affected by 2015 Wis. Acts 55 and 172 and as merged by the legislative reference bureau under s. 13.92 (2) (i).
1. Prevent and reduce the incidence of youth violence and other delinquent behavior.
2. Prevent and reduce the incidence of youth alcohol and other drug use and abuse.
3. Prevent and reduce the incidence of child abuse and neglect.
4. Prevent and reduce the incidence of nonmarital pregnancy and increase the use of abstinence as a method of preventing nonmarital pregnancy.
5. Increase adolescent self-sufficiency by encouraging high school graduation, vocational preparedness, improved social and other interpersonal skills and responsible decision making.
(am) From the amounts allocated under par. (a), the department may distribute an amount determined by the department to a nonprofit corporation or public agency to provide a program that accomplishes all of the following:
1. Prevents and reduces the incidence of adverse early childhood experiences in children 8 years of age and under and reduces the effects of those experiences through behavioral health and other services.
2. Provides professional development, training, and research in serving children 8 years of age and under for practitioners serving those children.
3. Provides direct services for children 8 years of age and under.
4. Provides child care, including a special care nursery, for children 8 years of age and under that has achieved the top rating provided under the child care quality rating system under s. 48.659.
5. Provides early intervention services under s. 51.44, early childhood education services, in-home treatment services, family services, and outpatient occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech therapy services for children 8 years of age and under.
(b) A nonprofit corporation or public agency that is applying for a grant under par. (a) or (am) shall provide to the department a proposed service plan for the use of the grant moneys. If the department approves the service plan, the department may award the grant. The department shall award the grants on a competitive basis and for a 3-year period.
(3) Outcomes expected.
(a) The department shall provide a set of benchmark indicators to measure the outcomes that are expected of a program funded under sub. (2) (a). Those benchmark indicators shall measure all of the following among youth who have participated in a program funded under sub. (2) (a):
1. The rate of participation in violent or other delinquent behavior.
2. The rate of alcohol and other drug use and abuse.
3. The rate of nonmarital pregnancy and the rate at which abstinence is used to prevent nonmarital pregnancy.
4. The rate of substantiated cases of child abuse and neglect.
5. The development of self-sufficiency, as indicated by the rate of high school graduation, the degree of vocational preparedness, any improvements in social and other interpersonal skills and in responsible decision making and any other indicators that the department considers important in indicating the development of adolescent self-sufficiency.
6. Any other indicators that the department considers important in indicating the development of positive behaviors among adolescents.
(b) The department shall require a grant recipient under sub. (2) (a) to provide an annual report showing the status of its program participants in terms of the benchmark indicators provided under par. (a) and may renew a grant only if the recipient shows improvement on those indicators.
