Child Care and Early Learning

Child care subsidy helps families pay for quality child care.

Families residing in Washington state may be eligible for Child Care Subsidy if their income is at or below 60% of the state Median Income (SMI) at application or 65% of SMI when reapplying.

A new legislative session began in January, and the Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families is building upon our Fair Start for Kids Act momentum to create an increasingly integrated child care and early learning system from birth to age 8.

In an effort to increase accessibility to high-quality child care for children and youth in foster care and increase placement capacity throughout the state, the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) now offer multi-licensing.

Resources for families with special child-care needs

No-cost and low-cost health-care premiums reach thousands

DCYF Launches Effort to Grow Trauma-Informed and Healing Centered Practices

The Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) Executive Leadership Team recently launched an agency-wide effort to grow trauma-informed and healing-centered supports throughout the agency.

The Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) has released the Comprehensive Early Learning Services Request for Application (RFA) for ECEAP, B-3, and ECLIPSE Expansion for 2023-2024.

Do I qualify for subsidized child care?

Apply for child care with DCYF’s Working Connections Child Care (WCCC) subsidy program by calling 1-844-626-8687, visiting

Several grant opportunities are currently available through DCYF to support child care providers and the child care workforce: