Children's Long-Term Support: How do providers stay up to date?
Know program policy
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) has received federal approval for the renewal of the Children's Long-Term Support (CLTS) Program. We gathered feedback from participants, families, and advocates. Together, we built the vision for the CLTS Program. Our renewed program features:
- Child-focused services and support.
- Greater emphasis on the needs of families.
- A holistic approach to serving children and families.
Changes are effective January 1, 2022. Learn more:
- Medicaid home and community-based services
- CLTS Waiver Program federal renewal application approval
- CLTS Waiver Renewal–Summary of Changes, P-02874
- Waiver Amendment for Statewide Uniform Rate-Setting Initiative (PDF)
Find more about the CLTS Program:
- Provider Services at a Glance, P-03181 (PDF)
- Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Waiver Manual for the CLTS Waiver Program, P-02256 (PDF)
Read provider bulletins
The bulletins below are full of helpful information about the CLTS Program. Find out more about:
- Policies
- Procedures
- Initiatives
- Rates
Children’s Long-Term Support Provider Bulletin, issue 2024-02 (PDF)
Information includes:
- New claims payer in spring 2025
- Review your CLTS Provider Registration for accuracy
- Help keep participants safe by reporting incidents
- Transportation services in the CLTS Program
- Get local support from Wisconsin Wayfinder
Children’s Long-Term Support Provider Bulletin, issue 2024-01 (PDF)
Information includes:
- New third-party administrator in 2025
- Provider registration renewals
- WisCaregiver Connections workforce platform and certified direct care professional training
- The 2024 Circles of Life Conference
- Provider booths at Connecting For Kids
- Staff stability survey for provider agencies coming in summer 2024
- Civil rights compliance for limited English proficiency
- Keeping information up to date in the CLTS Registry
- The Children’s Long-Term Support Program wants your provider stories and photos
Children’s Long-Term Support Provider Bulletin, issue 2023-02 (PDF)
Information includes:
- CLTS Program providers keep 5 percent increase for services to continue
- The CLTS Program wants your provider stories and photos
- Wisconsin invests in home and community-based services with help from the American Rescue Plan Act
- Introducing Wisconsin Wayfinder
- Children's Long-Term Support Provider Registry
- Adding a new service type to your provider registration
- Adding a new service area to your provider registration
Children’s Long-Term Support Provider Bulletin, issue 2023-01 (PDF)
Information includes:
- End of the COVID-19 public health emergency – changes to CLTS remote services
- DHS invests in home and community-based services with help from the American Rescue Plan Act
- New CLTS Provider Directory and Registry
- New CLTS Program provider webpages
- The 2023 Circles of Life Conference
- Available service types registered CLTS providers can add
- Reminder on fee schedule rate change for transportation mileage
- Create a Wisconsin Physician Services (WPS) Provider Portal account
Children’s Long-Term Support Provider Bulletin, issue 2022-02 (PDF)
Information includes:
- Reminder: registration is required to deliver new and reorganized CLTS Program services
- Reminder: billing requirements for remote services
- Safety planning and prevention services can help reduce the use of restrictive measures
- Free online training on managing threatening confrontations
- Create a Wisconsin Physician Services Provider Portal account
Children’s Long-Term Support Provider Bulletin, issue 2022-01 (PDF)
Information includes:
- CLTS program provider rate increase
- CLTS waiver renewal: overview of changes
- Changes to policy regarding use of restraint and seclusion
- Updates to incident reporting requirements
Children’s Long-Term Support Provider Bulletin, issue 2021-02 (PDF)
Information includes:
- Provider training on billing for remote services
- Recap of permanent remote services policy
- Recap of changes to CLTS timely filing claim submission
- Reminder of supportive home care 15-minute code implementation
- Reminder of CLTS fee schedule rate change for transportation mileage
Children's Long-Term Support Provider Bulletin, issue 2021-01 (PDF)
Information includes:
- Permanent remote services policy
- Reminder about Children’s Long-Term Support provider statewide uniform rates
- Details about respite care in Wisconsin
- How to register for the WPS provider portal
- WPS billing and claims processing tips for Children’s Long-Term Support Services
- How you can help grow the Children’s Long-Term Support Program
Children’s Long-Term Support Provider Bulletin, issue 2020-05 (PDF)
Information includes:
- Ways to encourage others to become CLTS program providers
- Registered providers who are in the CLTS provider directory
- Space to provide feedback for the CLTS waiver renewal
- Instructions for how to create a WPS provider portal account
Children’s Long-Term Support Provider Bulletin, issue 2020-04 (PDF)
Information includes:
- Overview of the registration process
- Enhanced registration and directory process for sole proprietors
- Four-year re-registration requirements
Children’s Long-Term Support Provider Bulletin, issue 2020-03 (PDF)
Information includes transition of nursing services and personal care services to Wisconsin Medicaid
Children’s Long-Term Support Provider Bulletin, issue 2020-02 (PDF)
Information includes incident reporting requirements for providers
Children’s Long-Term Support Provider Bulletin, issue 2020-01 (PDF)
Information includes:
- Overview of the registration process
- Enhanced registration and directory process for provider agencies
- Four-year re-registration requirements
Children's Long-Term Support Provider Bulletin, issue 2019-03 (PDF)
- Overview of the statewide uniform rates initiative
- List of services included in the statewide uniform rate schedule
- Transitioning rates through a phased rollout
- Understanding services rates versus wages
- Financial management service rates
- Overview of the registration process
- Enhanced registration and directory process for financial management service providers
- WPS claims corner
- Statewide uniform rate implementation
- Deciding Together Guide
- Individual service plan outcomes page
Review and sign Individual Service Plans
As a provider, you have an important role in a child’s Individualized Service Plan. You may be asked to sign the participant’s outcomes forms. Review those Plans. They will help you understand the goals of the child and their family. You are part of their team. You can help build a brighter future for each child and family.
You should also know about Deciding Together. It's how families and service coordinators develop an Individual Service Plan. Learn more in the Deciding Together Guide, P-02246, and the Medicaid HCBS Waiver Manual for the CLTS Waiver Program, P-02256 (PDF)—Chapter 7.4.2.
Learn about the Council for Children with Long-Term Support Needs
Over 16,000 children in Wisconsin have disabilities and need long-term support. The Council for Children with Long-Term Support Needs makes recommendations to the Secretary about how to make the CLTS Program the best it can be. The council looks at:
- How the program runs
- Accountability and how it is measured
- Finances
- Training
- Policy
- How the program could be more efficient
- Equity and accessibility
- Consistency across counties.
Look at enrollment data
We want all kids who need long-term support services to get them. Since 2017, we’ve worked to help more families access the CLTS Program. A big step was ending the program waitlist.
With funding from the state budget, we created a new enrollment process. It’s called continuous enrollment. This enrolls kids in CLTS as soon as they are eligible. Look at the Enrollment Dashboard to see our progress.