Child Care Subsidies & Assistance in Washington

Washington WCCC covers families up to 60% SMI with flat-dollar copays ($0 below 20% SMI; max $215/mo). FSKA expansion to 75% SMI was repealed in 2026 (SHB 2689); 60% SMI is now permanent. No state CDCC (no income tax). Refundable Working Families Tax Credit pays up to $1,330.

Data current as of June 17, 2026

See what you'd actually pay

Enter your income and household size to get an instant estimate of your copay, tax credits, and total savings in Washington.

Try the calculator →

Child care subsidy (CCDF) in Washington

Program name: Working Connections Child Care (WCCC)
Administered by: Washington Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF)
Income ceiling: Initial eligibility up to 60% State Median Income; reapplication threshold today is 65% SMI (~$90,552/year for a family of four). The Fair Start for Kids Act originally planned to raise initial eligibility to 75% SMI (July 2025) and later to 85% SMI. The 2025 Legislature delayed those milestones to FY 2030 and FY 2032 in the 2025–27 budget, and in 2026 the Legislature went further and repealed them outright in SHB 2689 (Ch. 264, 2026 Laws). WCCC initial eligibility is now set at 60% SMI permanently — there is no statutory expansion target on the books.
Family fee / copay: Per DCYF's October 2024 copay table, current copays are flat-dollar tiers by SMI band, not a 7%-of-income formula: $0 (0–20% SMI), $65 (20–36%), $90 (36–50%), $165 (50–60%), and $215 (60–65% SMI, reapplications only). Federal CCDBG 7%-of-income affordability benchmark applies as a ceiling. State copay cap: 7% of family income.
Waitlist status: No typical waitlist — Washington does not maintain a WCCC waitlist. Provider supply — especially for infants/toddlers and outside the Puget Sound region — is the binding constraint on access.
Apply: www.dcyf.wa.gov/services/earlylearning-childcare/getting-help/wccc

Income limits by family size

Family size	Initial eligibility ceiling (annual, 60% SMI)	Reapplication ceiling (annual, 65% SMI)
1	$43,464	$47,076
2	$56,832	$61,572
3	$70,212	$76,056
4	$83,580	$90,552
5	$96,960	$105,036
6	$110,328	$119,520
7	$112,836	$122,244
8	$115,344	$124,956

Initial eligibility ceiling (annual, 60% SMI): Upper bound of the 50%–60% SMI band from the DCYF WCCC table effective October 1, 2025, annualized (×12). Maximum income for new applicants. Families already enrolled at reapplication may qualify up to 65% SMI.
Reapplication ceiling (annual, 65% SMI): Upper bound of the 60%–65% SMI band from the DCYF WCCC table effective October 1, 2025, annualized (×12). Maximum income at reapplication for families already receiving WCCC.

Washington DCYF Working Connections Child Care — income eligibility and copayment table embedded on the WCCC program page (dcyf.wa.gov), effective October 1, 2025. The table shows monthly countable income bands by family size at 20%, 36%, 50%, 60%, 65%, 75%, and 85% State Median Income (SMI). Column 1 (60% SMI initial ceiling) is the upper bound of the 50%–60% SMI band — the maximum monthly income for new applicants — annualized (×12). Column 2 (65% SMI reapplication ceiling) is the upper bound of the 60%–65% SMI band — the maximum monthly income at reapplication — annualized (×12). Cross-check: F1–F8 ceiling ratios vs. F4 match LIHEAP household-size adjustment ratios exactly (52/68/84/100/116/132/135/138%), confirming these are the official DCYF Washington SMI schedule. The 75% SMI and 85% SMI columns appear in the DCYF table for reference but are not operative — SHB 2689 (Ch. 264, 2026 Laws) repealed both planned expansions, leaving 60% SMI as the permanent initial-eligibility ceiling. No family-of-1 published separately but family size 1 appears in the DCYF table. Effective October 1, 2025; check the state portal for the latest figures.

State pre-K in Washington

Program name: Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP)
Administered by: Washington Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF); delivered through local ECEAP contractors
Access: Income-targeted
Eligibility: 3- and 4-year-olds. Historically family income at or below 36% State Median Income (~110% FPL); the FSKA expansion to 50% SMI and the entitlement deadline (previously 2026-27) were delayed to the 2030-31 school year in the 2025-27 budget. Categorical eligibility regardless of income for children with IEPs, in foster care, or experiencing homelessness.
Coverage: NIEER ranks ECEAP high (meets 9–10 of 10 quality benchmarks). The Ballmer Group has committed up to $170 million per year over 10 years to fund up to 10,000 new school-day ECEAP seats; SB 5872 / HB 2159 establish the state account beginning July 2026.
Apply: www.dcyf.wa.gov/services/earlylearning-childcare/eceap

State tax credits & extras in Washington

State CDCC: Washington does not offer a state Child and Dependent Care Credit. Washington has no state personal income tax. The federal CDCC (claimed on IRS Form 2441) is the only income-tax-based child care credit Washington families can use.

Other state programs and credits

Washington Working Families Tax Credit — refundable, up to $1,330
Refundable sales-tax-rebate credit (despite the name). Tax year 2025 maximums: $335 (no kids), $660 (1 child), $995 (2 children), $1,330 (3 or more children). ITIN filers eligible — broader than the federal EITC. Tax year 2025 application window opened February 1, 2026.

Where to apply or get help in Washington

Find a daycare in Washington

Once you know what you qualify for, Childery's directory helps you pick a provider. Browse Washington's licensed daycares with independent Process and Structural quality ratings, or search by ZIP code or city.

Browse Washington daycares

Sources

Every state layers its own program on top of a federal floor — CCDF (the federal block grant), Head Start, the federal DCFSA (employer pre-tax benefit), and the federal Child and Dependent Care Credit. See the federal overview for what the floor looks like before any state adds.