Wyo. Code R. 053-0022-4
Effective Date: 09/26/2025 to Current
Rule Type: Current Rules & Regulations
Reference Number: 053.0022.4.09262025
Section 1. Authority. The Department of Workforce Services (DWS) is authorized under the DWS Act W.S. § 9-2-2601(c), W.S. § 9-2-2602(b)(vi), W.S. § 14-4-204, and the Wyoming Administrative Procedures Act, W.S. §16-3-101 et seq. to promulgate rules and regulations to be used by the DWS in the discharge of its functions.
Section 2. Purpose. The WY Quality Counts Educational Development Program provides funding for training of owners and staff of child care facilities through the use of Child Development Associate (CDA) Contractor Program to encourage staff working in the child care industry to provide formal education that will enhance the quality of child care provided by the industry.
(a) The CDA contractor shall provide the appropriate CDA credential instruction in compliance with the standards of the Council for Professional Recognition and as approved by the Wyoming Statewide Training and Resource System (STARS).
(b) An approved CDA program shall consist of one of the following:
(i) Advisor services and the coursework provided on a community basis; or
(ii) Advisor services provided to individuals taking coursework through a Wyoming Community College.
(a) CDA scholarship funds shall only be used for costs associated with the following:
(i) Advisor fees;
(ii) Books;
(iii) CDA assessment fees;
(iv) CDA instructor fees;
(v) CDA credential renewal fees;
(vi) Up to five percent (5%) of the total training costs related to a child care facility's administrative expenses, which include bookkeeping, reporting and record keeping; or (vii) Other required fees as pre-approved by the WY Quality Counts program manager.
(b) Scholarship funds shall be paid directly to the CDA contractor.
(a) CDA contractors shall complete and submit the official DWS Child Development Associate Contractor Scholarship form.
(b) Applications shall be submitted at least forty-five (45) days prior and not more than one hundred and ten (110) days prior to the scheduled start date of the program.
(c) CDA contractors shall include proof of approval by the Wyoming Statewide Training and Resource System (STARS).
(a) Once an application has been approved by the WY Quality Counts program manager, the CDA contractor shall enter into a written agreement as set forth by DWS (in conjunction with participants) for each scholarship request.
(b) Participants receiving training through the CDA contractor shall adhere to the following requirements of the scholarship application:
(i) Sign a written agreement to the repayment and mandatory employment requirements in accordance with Section 8. Participant Termination, Repayment and Mandatory Employment Requirements provided in the CDA contractor program application;
(ii) Maintain continuous enrollment during the duration of the program;
(iii) Complete and submit a DWS-recognized training evaluation survey no later than forty-five (45) days after completion of the coursework;
(iv) Achieve satisfactory performance;
(v) Provide proof of completion and a copy of the CDA credential no later than forty-five (45) days from the time the information is available; and
(vi) Remain in good standing with both the approved CDA program and the WY Quality Counts Educational Development Program.
(c) The CDA Contractor shall submit final report documentation within ninety (90) days after completion of the CDA program that provides documentation of the following for each participant:
(i) Satisfactory completion of training; (ii) Completion of a DWS-recognized training evaluation survey; and (iii) Completion and receipt of the CDA credential.
(a) Failure of a CDA contractor to submit final report documentation in accordance with Section 6. Ongoing Requirements, shall result in the requirement to repay to DWS all funds that were paid to the contractor, to include costs incurred in the collection of fees.
(i) The repayment shall be made, or a repayment agreement shall be signed, within thirty (30) days of the date the notice of repayment was sent from the WY Quality Counts program manager to the CDA contractor.
(ii) Failure to repay CDA scholarship funds as requested shall result in the referral of the case to a collection agency for appropriate legal action and placement on the list of CDA program contractors that are not in good standing with the WY Quality Counts Educational Development Program.
(A) The WY Quality Counts program manager shall send the notice of termination via electronic copy to the CDA contractor's email address on file and via physical copy to the CDA contractor's mailing address provided on the application.
(a) The scholarship participant shall be terminated from the scholarship program if the participant fails to adhere to the following requirements:
(i) Maintain enrollment; (ii) Remain in good standing with the CDA program and the WY Quality Counts Educational Development Program; (iii) Meet performance requirements; (iv) Provide verification documents on time to the CDA Contractor; (v) Successfully obtain the CDA credential; or (vi) Meet the mandatory employment requirements.
(b) Any participant who is terminated from the CDA scholarship program is required to repay the portion of funds that were paid to the CDA contractor on their behalf to the DWS, to include costs incurred in the collection, unless a Waiver of Repayment has been approved of the WY Quality Counts program manager.
(i) A Waiver of Repayment may be approved if the scholarship participant submits a request, in writing, to the WY Quality Counts program manager that outlines one of the following reasons the scholarship participant was unable to adhere to the requirements:
(A) Experienced a major medical occurrence;
(B) Activated for military service or has a spouse activated for or relocated in military service;
(C) Deceased, in which case a representative for the scholarship participant may submit the written request; or
(D) Encounters an emergency or hardship, involving themselves or an immediate family member that reasonably precludes the ability to complete the approved coursework.
(c) Repayments due to DWS shall be made, or a repayment agreement shall be signed, within thirty (30) days of the date the notice of termination was sent from the WY Quality Counts program manager to the participant.
(i) The WY Quality Counts program manager shall send the notice of termination via electronic copy to the participant’s email address on file, if available, and via physical copy to the participant’s mailing address provided on the application.
(d) Failure to repay CDA scholarship funds or sign a repayment agreement within the thirty (30) days of the notification, the WY Quality Counts program manager shall refer the case to a collection agency for appropriate legal action and place the individual on the list for individuals that are not in good standing with the WY Quality Counts Educational Development Program.
(e) The participant shall agree to work for or contract with a child care facility for a mandatory employment period of five hundred (500) hours for each CDA credential, CDA credential renewal, or second credential, within a twelve (12) month period.
(i) The mandatory employment period shall begin:
(A) The month immediately after completion of the CDA coursework;
or
(B) If the child care facility is closed during the summer, the first day the child care facility reopens in the fall.
(f) If the participant is laid off due to lack of work, the scholarship participant shall obtain employment with another child care facility and complete any remaining mandatory employment period hours.
Section 9. Program Limitations. The CDA contractor shall be eligible to receive funding for up to two thousand and three hundred dollars ($2,300) per participant for allowable expenses not to exceed a total of three thousand two hundred dollars ($3,200) for instructor fees per CDA program.