Child Welfare Financial Programs Analyst

State of Wisconsin; Milwaukee (WI); Hybrid; USD 79,000 - 89,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work option

Great benefits

Job summary

State of Wisconsin is seeking a Child Welfare Financial Programs Analyst within the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families. The role focuses on financial operations for foster care, guardianship, adoption, and related programs, with strong data analytics to improve outcomes for children and families.

The position may offer hybrid work up to 90% based on unit needs; onboarding may require reporting to Madison or Milwaukee offices.

Qualifications

• Experience conducting policy analysis and sharing findings with partners.
• Experience administering programs within or adjacent to the child welfare system (policy development, implementation, monitoring).
• Experience working with administrative and fiscal responsibilities in a program setting (budget management, contracting and procurement).
• Experience with Title IV-E funding, data analysis, claiming, and compliance.

Responsibilities

• Perform financial and statistical analyses to identify trends and outcomes.
• Develop expertise in care-related costs and internal operations (procurement, contracting, and payments).
• Analyze financial payment data and generate reports for internal and external audiences.
• Collaborate with leadership and partner agencies to drive data-driven decisions and policy improvements.

Skills

Policy analysis

Data-driven decision making

Budget management

Procurement & contracting

IV-E funding knowledge

Job description

Introduction The Wisconsin Department of Children and Families (DCF), Division of Safety & Permanence (DSP), Bureau of Compliance, Research, and Analytics (BCRA), Fiscal and Support Services Section is currently recruiting to fill a Child Welfare Financial Programs Analyst position. DCF offers great benefits, personal growth opportunities and work-life balance as a State of Wisconsin employee; and the intrinsic reward associated with serving the children and families of Wisconsin. To learn more about DCF’s complete compensation package, please visit our Total Rewards Calculator!

This position may allow hybrid work for a portion of the work schedule up to 90% depending on the employee’s preference and needs of the work unit. Any hybrid work flexibility that may be available will be discussed in more detail in the interview process.

For positions that do allow hybrid work flexibility, employees may need to report to a DCF office location on short notice. There is no mileage reimbursement when traveling to the headquarter location. Our DCF locations are in the following cities: Madison, Milwaukee, Green Bay, Eau Claire, and Rhinelander. Employees need to report to the 201 W. Washington Ave. Madison, WI office or the 635 N 26 St. Milwaukee, WI office on their first day for onboarding and orientation. High speed internet access is required to meet the needs of remote work.

Come see why DCF is such a great place to work! DCF is committed to the important work of helping children, youth and families become safer, more secure and progress down the road to true independence. For more information about DCF, visit our website at http://dcf.wi.gov/. This recruitment may be used for similar vacancies that become available in the near future.

Position Summary Child Welfare Financial Programs and Policy Analyst acts independently and collaboratively as an analyst for several child welfare program and policy areas served by the Division of Safety and Permanence in the Department of Children and Families. This position performs financial and statistical analyses to identify trends, ensure compliance, and track programmatic outcomes to advance the department’s vision that all Wisconsin children and youth are safe and loved members of thriving families and communities.

The Child Welfare Financial Programs Analyst is responsible for establishing strong programmatic and policy expertise in care-related costs for children and families served by the child welfare system, as well as developing expertise in internal operations (such as: procurement, contracting, and payment processing). The position analyzes financial payment data, tracks the payment processing throughout the system, and generates reports for internal and external audiences.

This position is specifically responsible for understanding the complex funding structures serving children and family services in Wisconsin and evaluating the financial health of those programs. The position will utilize their strong knowledge and expertise in fiscal operations and data analytics to assist leadership and partner agencies in making data-driven decisions. The analyst will lead or collaborate in the development of policies or procedures to improve programmatic outcomes and operational effectiveness.

The analyst is the Division’s expert in financial operations related to foster care, subsidized guardianship, adoption assistance, prevention services trust accounts, and financial reconciliations. They will serve as a liaison between the department and local child welfare agencies (counties, tribes, and contracted agencies) to resolve financial payment issues or discrepancies. The position is responsible for providing internal and external customers with timely and accurate information, explanations, and technical assistance. The position may conduct special program analyses assigned by Division leadership.

For a complete copy of the position description, click here.

Salary Information The starting salary for this position is between $38.00 and $43.00 per hour ($79,040 and $89,440 annually), depending on qualifications. Pay for current State of WI employees will be based on the compensation plan in effect at the time of the appointment. Pay for current state employees who are transferring will be determined based upon the pay on transfer rules (higher level duties or equity) as outlined in the compensation plan in effect at the time of appointment. The position is included in the classification of Program and Policy Analyst-Advanced within the pay schedule/range is 07-03. A one year probationary period may be required.

Job Details Due to the nature of the position, final candidates may be required to allow DCF to conduct a security background check to determine whether the circumstances of any pending charges or convictions would be substantially related to the job being filled.

Applicants must be legally entitled to work in the United States (i.e., a citizen or national of the U.S., a lawful permanent resident, an alien authorized to work in the U.S. without DCF sponsorship.) The Department of Children and Families does not sponsor visas, either at time of hire or at any later time.

The State of Wisconsin is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer.

We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to applicants of any race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national original, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or veteran status. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. We provide reasonable accommodations to qualified applicants and employees with disabilities.

The State of Wisconsin offers a special program for qualified veterans with a 30% or greater service-connected disability. If you are a qualified veteran, please visit the Veterans Employment page for application instructions to be considered for the Veterans Non-Competitive Appointment program.

Minimally qualified applicants will have:

• Experience conducting policy analysis and sharing findings with partners
• Experience administering programs within or adjacent to the child welfare system (developing policy, implementing procedures, monitoring operations)
• Experience working with administrative and fiscal responsibilities in a program setting (budget management, contracting and procurement, administering grants or other funding, etc.)

Well-qualified Applicants Will Have:

• Direct experience working with Title IV-E federal funding source (data analysis, claiming, compliance, and administration of this particular funding source)
• Experience performing data driven decision making (identifying data needs, identifying data sources and methods, leveraging data to promote program improvement, and using data to tell a story, etc.)
• Experience analyzing and/or developing rate setting, out-of-home care payments, and/or other recipient payment programs, including but not limited to, assessing program costs, fiscal impacts, budgetary requirements, etc.

The deadline to apply is 11:59 PM on September 30, 2026.