Wis. Stat. § 46.001: Purposes of chapter.

The purposes of this chapter are to conserve human resources in Wisconsin; to prevent dependency, mental illness, developmental disability, mental infirmity, and other forms of social maladjustment by a continuous attack on causes; to provide effective aid and services to all persons in need of that aid and those services and to assist those persons to achieve or regain self-dependence at the earliest possible date; to avoid duplication and waste of effort and money on the part of public and private agencies; and to coordinate and integrate a social welfare program.