DCF Bureau of Regional Operations
Overview
The Bureau of Regional Operations (BRO) provides support to DCF program divisions by
overseeing contracts with local agencies administering DCF programs, conducting program
monitoring and providing technical assistance to local service delivery providers. With teams of
staff based in five regional offices, the BRO maintains working relationships between DCF and
local agencies to ensure compliance by local agencies with program requirements, contract
requirements and program performance standards. BRO staff conduct reviews of local
agencies, review customer complaints regarding local agency services, and facilitate regional
meetings for local agency staff.
Each BRO team consists of an Area Administrator supervisor, three to four Regional
Coordinators and a Program Assistant. These teams provide support for the major DCF
programs – such as child welfare, child care subsidy, child support, and W-2 financial
assistance. Staff are located in five regional offices – Madison, Waukesha, Green Bay,
Rhinelander and Eau Claire. Staff work with county human services departments, child support
agencies, private agencies and tribes. The Bureau is managed by the Bureau Director and
Bureau Program Assistant who are located in the DCF central office.
Major Areas of Responsibility
The BRO works with the child welfare, child care subsidy, child support and W-2 programs on
the following activities:
 Local agency program plan review and approval;
 Local agency budget review and approval;
 Contract management, including approval of subcontracts and audit waivers;
 Program compliance monitoring, including case reviews, desktop review of reports, on-site
reviews of local agencies, and corrective action plans;
 Reviews of customer complaints regarding local agency services;
 Providing technical assistance to local agencies and coordinating with program training units
to arrange training;
 Monitoring local agency achievement of program performance standards; and
 Facilitating regional meetings of local agency managers and staff.
These activities are conducted in conjunction with the DCF program division responsible for the
program area.
The BRO coordinates with DCF direct service units on regional issues, including child care
licensing, child welfare licensing, and adoption services. BRO staff make Title IV-E eligibility
determinations for children in foster care on behalf of the Division of Safety and Permanence
(DSP). BRO coordinates with the Division of Enterprise Solutions (DES) Finance Bureau on
fiscal matters involving local agencies, the DCF Tribal Liaison on Tribal issues, and the Office of
Performance and Quality Assurance (OPQA) for Quality Services Reviews (QSRs) of child
welfare agencies.
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Regional Child Welfare Coordinator Q & A
Who is my Regional Child Welfare Coordinator?
The Regional Child Welfare Coordinator assigned to your agency is:
Sue Matczynski
She can be reached at:
Department of Children and Families
Bureau of Regional Operations
200 N. Jefferson St., Suite 525
Green Bay, WI 54301
920-448-5299; FAX 920-448-5305
Sue.matczynski@wisconsin.gov
What is the role of my Regional Child Welfare Coordinator?
Regional Coordinators have many roles. Primarily, they are a communication link between the
child welfare program division in Madison and local child welfare agencies. They serve as a
resource to county and tribal supervisors and managers and are a good source of technical
assistance and policy advice. You should feel free to contact your Regional Child Welfare
Coordinator with any questions you may have. If s/he can’t answer the question herself, s/he
will find the answer or direct you elsewhere. When appropriate, s/he may help to connect you
with other supervisors in the region who could help.
Regional Coordinators are responsible for providing program oversight and monitoring to ensure
local agencies comply with program requirements. Whenever possible, they strive to provide
this oversight in a supportive and helpful manner. Their goal is not to catch you doing
something wrong, but rather to help you to do it right!
When might I hear from my Regional Child Welfare Coordinator?
Your Regional Child Welfare Coordinator is likely to contact you often. S/he may send
communications out to the region or specifically to you or your agency to:
 Draw attention to a new policy
 Clarify a procedural issue
 Share monitoring results (and ask for follow-up)
 Conduct a survey
 Request information
 Invite you to a regional meeting
 Inquire about a complaint received in the regional office
 Schedule a visit to your agency
 Share best practices between agencies
 Etc., etc.!
What if I can’t reach my Regional Child Welfare Coordinator?
Regional staff are frequently out of the office to attend meetings and training or to visit local
agencies. If your question or issue can wait, leave a message. S/he will get back to you just as
soon as possible. If you need immediate assistance, feel free to contact the Area Administrator
or Program Associate in your region. (See BRO contact sheet.) These individuals can often
help in the absence of the Regional Coordinator, or find someone in another office who can.
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Current WiSACWIS Monitoring Efforts
1) Caseworker Contacts
What’s Monitored?
Documentation of monthly face-to-face contact between caseworkers and children/juveniles
placed in out-of-home care under the placement and care responsibility of the State. The
federal requirement is that 90% of these children/juveniles have face-to-face contact with the
caseworker each and every full calendar month they are placed in out-of-home care, and that
over half of these contacts (51%) occur in the child/juvenile’s out-of-home care setting.
What are the key WiSACWIS reports?
CM06X100 Caseworker Contacts –Reflects county performance toward the 90% benchmark.
CM06X102 – Provides real-time data to assist the county in monitoring documentation of
face-to-face contacts for any given month.
Monthly caseworker contact reports are also available on the DCF website:
http://dcf.wisconsin.gov/cwreview/dashboards/well-being/caseworker/caseworker-contacts.htm
Why is this being monitored?
This is a federal requirement that is discussed in DSP Memo Series 2008-01: Caseworker
Contact Requirement for Children and Juveniles in Out-of-Home Care:
http://dcf.wisconsin.gov/memos/num_memos/DSP/2008/2008-01.pdf
Research has shown that regular and consistent face-to-face contact by a child’s caseworker
that is focused on the goals established in the case plan or permanency plan directly impact
positive outcomes for children and juveniles, including the management of safety, timely
achievement of permanence, and improved well-being. If the State fails to meet the 90%
benchmark there will be a reduction in the federal Promoting Safe and Stable Families match.
Counties that fail to meet the benchmark may also face Corrective Action and financial
penalties.
2) Independent Living: Completion of NYTD Survey
What’s Monitored?
Independent Living (IL)-eligible 17-year-olds who need to take the NYTD survey within 45 days
of their 17th birthday.
What are the key WiSACWIS reports?
SM08X103 – Weekly NYTD Youth
SM08X104 – NYTD Youth 17
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Why is this being monitored?
This is a federal requirement. The John H. Chaffee Foster Care Independence Act required that
a data collection system be created that can “measure states’ success in preparing youth for the
transition to independence.” That system is NYTD. DSP Memo Series 2010-11 – National
Youth in Transition Database Outcomes Survey (link:
http://dcf.wisconsin.gov/memos/num_memos/DSP/2010/2010-11.pdf ) discusses this
requirement in greater detail. Federal IL funding is tied to states meeting the 80% survey
compliance rate. The NYTD survey gives youth an opportunity to share their experiences in
foster care and help other foster children get the support and services they need to successfully
transition to adulthood. Data from the NYTD survey can help DCF and counties to improve their
IL programs. “Envision NYTD as an opportunity to stay connected with youth so no one falls
through the cracks.”
3) Timeliness of Initial Assessments
What’s Monitored?
There are two measures:

Timeliness of Initial Face-to-Face Contact (within the response time assigned by the
county when screening in the CPS report)

Timely completion of Initial Assessments (within 60 days of receipt of the CPS report)
The Standard for both measures is 100%.
What are the key WiSACWIS reports?
SM06A109 – Initial Assessment Report
Why is this being monitored?
Both measures are related to the timely assessment of child safety.
Wisconsin did not meet performance standards for timeliness of response to maltreatment
during the 2010 federal Child and Family Services Review. As a result, Wisconsin’s Program
Improvement Plan includes increasing the number of initial Face-to-Face contacts completed
within the assigned response time and Initial Assessments completed within 60 days.
Both measures are requirements per Wisconsin’s Child Protective Services Access and Initial
Assessment Standards (Chapter 7, Section VII. A and Chapter 12, XII. L.). Wisconsin State
Statutes s. 48.24(5) requires that a juvenile intake inquiry be concluded within 60 days.
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