Our Mission

The Wyoming Department of Family Services is responsible for licensing child care facilities and serves as the lead agency for the federal Child Care and Development Block Grant. In 2001, all early childhood programs were reorganized by the Department into the Division of Early Childcare and Licensing (now: Early Childhood Division). The Division is the result of a longstanding commitment by the Wyoming Department of Family Services to protect and serve Wyoming’s young children. The mission of the Division is performed by various organizational units that work together, each sharing in the overall responsibility of the agency.

Our Organization

The focus of the Early Childhood Division is on our customers: children, parents, providers and policy makers. We work collaboratively with other partners to deliver services in the most effective manner. Our Division is committed to:

• ensuring that children are cared for in safe, developmentally appropriate child care environments;
• ensuring youth in out of home placement facilities are cared for in safe and healthy environments;
• low income families receive assistance to pay for the cost of child care while they are working to achieve self-sufficiency;
• child care providers receive training and supports necessary to improve the quality of their early care and education programs; and
• policy makers have the information necessary to make informed decisions.

 The following programs fall under the umbrella of the Early Childhood Division:

• Child Care Licensing
• Substitute Care Licensing
• Child Care Subsidy; and
• Child Care Quality Initiatives.

The Division also provides administrative support for the following councils and boards:

• The Child Care Certification Board; and
• The Early Childhood Development Council.