The Wisconsin Department of Health Services’ Bureau of Children’s Services presented plans to renew the Children’s Long-Term Support (CLTS) 1915(c) waiver, which must be approved by the end of 2026 and will govern services from 2027–2031. The renewal focuses on three pillars—consistency of the CLTS experience, timely access and coordination of benefits, and operational efficiency—and includes major updates such as a statewide professional development system for support and service coordinators, readiness reviews for waiver agencies, creation of a CLTS ombuds and grievance system, redefined self-direction, and a provider qualification record review. The CLTS service package is being comprehensively revised to clarify coverage, reduce overlap, and update provider qualifications across services like child care, day services, health and wellness, specialized medical equipment, and specialized youth care.A public comment period on the draft waiver is underway with comments due June 13, 2026, indicating the design is still open to change. This is a pre-RFP planning window where consultants, training providers, case management tools vendors, and grievance/ombuds systems providers can help DHS finalize operational models, training curricula, and technology supports for the new waiver period. A useful next conversation would focus on how the vendor’s tools or services could improve statewide consistency, provider qualification tracking, and the new grievance and ombuds functions.

Public comment draft is posted at www.dhs.wi.gov/clts/renewal.htm; changes include training systems, readiness reviews, ombuds and grievance infrastructure, and provider qualification reviews that may require external tools or services.