Childcare access in King, Washington
Per Center for American Progress methodology · ACS 2019–2023 · Find a daycare in Washington
County-wide access
48.1% of young children live in a childcare desert
1.7 children under 5 for every licensed slot — tight but below desert threshold.
How King compares
King
48.1%
Washington (statewide)
61.3%
National (CAP 2018)
51.0%
Published US baseline; same definition.
Percentages = share of children under 5 living in a census tract classified as a childcare desert under the CAP 2018 definition (zero providers in a populated tract OR more than 3 children under 5 per licensed slot).
The numbers behind the classification
- Children under 5 in county
- 120,412
- In a desert tract
- 57,939 (48.1%)
- Licensed providers in county
- 903
- Licensed slots in county
- 69,405
- Census tracts in county
- 495 (195 flagged as desert)
- Statewide reference (Washington)
- 61.3% of children under 5 in a desert tract
Top-rated licensed providers in King
Ranked by state quality rating where available, then by licensed capacity. Open the provider page for hours, age range, contact information, and the full quality breakdown.
KIDS COUNTRY BURIEN
BURIEN · 173 licensed slots
Quality rating: 5.0 / 5 (Early Achievers)
THE GODDARD SCHOOL - BELLEVUE
BELLEVUE · 171 licensed slots
Quality rating: 5.0 / 5 (Early Achievers)
RSA LEARNING CENTERS, INC.
REDMOND · 139 licensed slots
Quality rating: 5.0 / 5 (Early Achievers)
AKIN
AUBURN · 122 licensed slots
Quality rating: 5.0 / 5 (Early Achievers)
COLLEGE FOR KIDS
FEDERAL WAY · 110 licensed slots
Quality rating: 5.0 / 5 (Early Achievers)
GREEN RIVER MONTESSORI SCHOOL
AUBURN · 94 licensed slots
Quality rating: 5.0 / 5 (Early Achievers)
What programs operate here
Several subsidy and quality programs can help families afford licensed care in Washington, including the federal Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), state Child and Dependent Care Tax Credits, and Head Start.
Methodology
A childcare desert is a census tract where either no licensed childcare providers are present in a populated area (30 or more children under 5) OR the ratio of children under 5 to licensed slots exceeds 3:1. This definition is taken directly from the Center for American Progress's 2018 report Mapping America's Child Care Deserts.
We classify each census tract using ACS 5-year estimates (2019–2023) for population under 5 by tract, joined to Childery's licensed-provider dataset by the tract GEOID of each provider's geocoded address. County-level statistics are rolled up from the underlying tracts: a county's “% in desert” is the share of its under-5 population living in tracts that meet the desert threshold.
CAP's 2025 update America's Licensed Child Care Deserts uses a continuous-distance methodology around family locations rather than census-tract boundaries; we use the 2018 framework here because it's the one most widely cited by Brookings, state advocacy organizations, and policy researchers. Both frameworks reach broadly similar conclusions at the national level (roughly half of US children under 5 live in a desert).
Sources
- Center for American Progress, “Mapping America's Child Care Deserts” (2018)
- Center for American Progress, “America's Licensed Child Care Deserts” (2025 update)
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, table B01001 (Sex by Age), vintage 2019–2023.
- Childery licensed-provider dataset, compiled from state-by-state licensing agencies and refreshed quarterly.
Looking for a daycare in King?
This page measures access at the county level. To browse specific licensed daycares with quality ratings, ZIP search, and direct contact information, jump to Childery's Washington directory. Direct phone, address, and website for every listing — no signup, no lead form.
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