Wisconsin Resources

This section features a county-by-county listing of agencies and organizations who form the  Wisconsin Support Network for grandparents raising grandchildren. It also includes State Resources such as the Wisconsin AARP Legal Guide; County Resources; Newsletters with helpful suggestions; Educational Resources for caregivers as well as professionals; Fiscal Resources that grandparents may qualify for to help them ease their financial strain and Other Resources including demographic data on Wisconsin families.

Wisconsin Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Support Network
This link is a list of county specific agencies and organizations that provide some form of support to relative caregivers. If no specific support is listed for your county, contact the Wisconsin Family Caregiver Support Helpline by phone at (866) 843-9810 M-F 8:30 am to 4:30 pm or on the web at: http://www.wisconsincaregiver.org

State Resources

  • AARP 2008 Legal Guide(30 pages, 395 KB)
    A resource for adults other than parents who take care of children. Focuses on advantages, disadvantages and legal aspects of various caregiving arrangements and describes Wisconsin programs of potential help to relative caregivers.
  • Caring for the Caregiver,The Wisconsin’s Family Caregiver Support Program
    The program provides help to families and friends who help care for: persons age 60 and over; individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders regardless of age; grandparents or relative caregivers 55 years of age and older who are caring for grandchildren under age 19, or who are caring for a relative with a severe disability who is 19 to 59 years of age. (866) 843-9810
  • Department of Health & Family Services Kinship Care Program
    A program designed to help support a child who resides outside of his or her own home, either temporarily or for the long term, with the relative rather than being placed in a foster home or other type of out-of-home placement.
  • Wisconsin Department of Children and Families
    A state agency with the mission to promote the economic and social well being of Wisconsin’s children and families. The site gives information about prevention in areas of poverty, abuse and neglect, delinquency, teen pregnancy. It also offers information about early care and education, child and family safety, foster care and adoption, workforce (W-2) and child support.
  • State Fact Sheets for Grandparents and Other Relatives Raising Children
    An AARP resource which provides helpful state-specific data and information for each of the states (including Wisconsin), Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
  • Children’s Service Society of Wisconsin Therapy book list
    Books and stories are often used to help children learn new concepts, to understand that others have had similar experiences, and to help children become comfortable discussing sensitive issues. Books are available under the categories physical or sexual abuse, depression and anxiety, esteem issues, children dealing with divorce related issues, grief issues, parent-child conflicts, and adoption. Reading and talking with your child is an excellent way to help them through difficult situations. If you feel that you or your child needs more support, CSSW therapists may be able to assist. You can contact us at 1-800-653-2779 or visit our webpage at http://www.cssw.org and click on the Child and Family Counseling link to find out about CSSW offices in your area
  • Wisconsin Court System site for downloading guardianship forms

County Resources

  • Dane County:
  • Milwaukee County:
    • Family Caregiver Support Network Grandparent Loan Library
      Resource materials may be requested by calling (414) 220-8600 and mailed directly to you at no cost. Or, you may check out library materials from the Family Caregiver Support Network at 600 W. Virginia, Ste. 300, Milwaukee, WI, between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. on weekdays.
  • Waukesha County:

Educational Resources

Benefits and Fiscal Resources

  • Bureau of Aging & Long Term Care Resources
    Access point to a variety of information on programs and services in Wisconsin for older people and caregivers.
  • FoodShare Wisconsin or at 1-800-362-3002
    Provides extra food dollars to people with limited financial resources.
  • Home Energy Plus or at 1-866-432-8947
    Provides information about Wisconsin Home Energy Assistance and Wisconsin’s Weatherization Programs available to households with limited income.
  • Wisconsin BadgerCare+ or at 1-800-362-3002
    An insurance program for all children (up to age 19) who do not currently have access to health insurance, to pregnant women, parents, caretakers, and foster families with limited financial resources.
  • Wisconsin JobNet Job Search
    Current job opportunities listed with the Wisconsin Job Center System.
  • Wisconsin Shares or at 1-888-713-5437
    Wisconsin’s Child Care Subsidy Program (W-2 Child Care) which helps eligible parents pay for child care.
  • Wisconsin WIC Program or at 1-800-722-2295
    The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children which provides supplemental nutritious foods, nutrition and breast feeding information and referral to other health and nutritional services.

Other Resources

More in this Section

  • Census Data By County