Working Connections Child Care (WCCC) helps families with low incomes pay for child care.
When a family qualifies for child care subsidy benefits and chooses an eligible provider, the state pays a portion of the cost of child care. The parent may be responsible to pay a copayment to their provider each month.
- Copay Calculation Table – Effective April 1, 2019
- Child Care Subsidy Regional Map for Licensed Family Homes and Centers
When enrollment in WCCC is full, DCYF maintains a waiting list to receive WCCC benefits. If your family qualifies for priority status, you will not go on the wait list.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE WCCC WAIT LIST
Basic Eligibility Requirements
- The child who needs subsidized care must be a U.S. citizen or legal resident.
- The family must live in Washington state.
- The family’s income must be at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL) when applying, or 220 percent of FPL when reapplying.
- The parent must be employed or self-employed in legal, income-generating, taxable activities; or the parent must meet all TANF/WorkFirst requirements if participating in that program. Families experiencing homelessness may be approved for up to four months to resolve issues surrounding homelessness.
- The parent must complete the WCCC application and verification process.
- Parents of children with special needs may qualify for higher rates to help pay for additional supports needed.
Application Process
- Contact the Child Care Subsidy Contact Center at 1-844-626-8687, or
- Apply online through Washington Connection. You will need to provide DCYF with the following information:
- Proof of your child’s citizenship or legal residency.
- Household members.
- Household income.
- The name and phone number of the child care provider.
View the instructions for how to create an online account with Washington Connection.
Finding Child Care
Parents have different provider options they may choose to best fit the needs of their family:
- Licensed or certified child care centers.
- Licensed or certified family child care homes.
- Unlicensed care.
- Typically referred to as family, friend or neighbor (FFN) child care.
Licensed child care providers follow minimum licensing requirements set by the state to ensure children are in safe, healthy and nurturing places.
- Learn more about licensed child care.
- If you are not sure where to find licensed child care providers, your local Child Care Aware Washington agency can help. You can call them at 1-800-446-1114.
Some families prefer to have an FFN care for their child or to have care provided in the child’s home. When you choose a child care provider who is exempt from licensing, you have extra responsibilities. The provider you choose must:
- Be 18 years of age or older.
- Be a citizen or a legal resident of the United States.
- Pass the DCYF background check. If care is provided in the provider’s home, then anyone older than 16 who lives in the home must also pass a background check.
- Be physically and mentally healthy enough to meet all the needs of the child in care.
- Not be the child’s biological parent, step-parent, adoptive parent, legal guardian, in-loco parentis, or the spouse of any of these individuals.
- Meet the health and safety requirements in WAC 110-16-0025, 110-16-0030, and 110-16-0035 if not related to the child.
FOR MORE INFORMATION GO TO THE FAMILY, FRIENDS AND NEIGHBOR PROVIDER PAGE
Note: In-home or relative providers who are paid child care subsidies to care for children receiving WCCC benefits may not receive those benefits for their own children during the hours in which they provide subsidized child care.
