By Aaron Allen, The Seattle Medium
Effective immediately, the City of Seattle and the Department of Education and Early Learning have expanded eligibility for the Child Care Assistance Program, making an estimated 2,000 additional families eligible for co-pay support at licensed childcare providers.
The program expansion comes at a time when Seattle-King County families are spending, on average, 20 percent or more of their household income on childcare, according to a 2023 report. The policy goal of the Child Care Assistance Program is to reduce that financial burden and increase access to early learning for more families.
“From our experience with families, we know that the cost of childcare is really expensive. Our hope is that when families reached the end of our previous income threshold, even if they were no longer eligible, they still paid a significant amount,” said Janet Thomas, Program Intake Manager for the Child Care Assistance Program. “So, the expansion really is to ensure that we can serve more families once they have reached that end point.”
Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell said expanding access to affordable childcare is essential for working families and for sustaining childcare providers.
“Expanding access to affordable childcare comes at a crucial moment for many Seattle families already facing economic hardships during these uncertain times,” said Harrell. “I am pleased this new expansion will serve even more working families and provide financial relief as we approach the holiday season. The change will also positively impact our childcare providers’ businesses and offer more early learning opportunities for our city’s children.”
Under the new guidelines, families of three earning up to $128,724 annually and families of four earning up to $153,244 annually are eligible to apply. Families who submit their applications by November 30 and are enrolled with participating providers may receive up to $807 per month in co-pay support through the end of 2025.
There is no waitlist, and families are encouraged to apply online. CCAP offers an average of $10,000 in annual cost savings for eligible families with children ages zero to 13. More than 290 licensed providers across Seattle accept CCAP vouchers.
“Originally our childcare assistance program, which helps working families and others in need pay for childcare through subsidies, had eligibility set at 94 percent of the state median income,” said Leilani Dela Cruz, Early Learning Director at the Department of Education and Early Learning. “With this expansion, we are raising that to 110 percent of state median income, which means up to 2,000 more families will now be eligible for our subsidy program.”
The program is administered by the Department of Education and Early Learning and is proposed to be funded through 2032 by the 2025 Families, Education, Preschool and Promise Levy. This expansion aims to ease financial pressure on middle-income and single-parent households and increase access to early learning. By increasing affordability and making direct payments to providers, CCAP also supports Seattle’s childcare providers, many of whom are women, minority, or small business owners.
“Supporting community and meeting family and child needs is what DEEL and the CCAP program are all about,” said Dr. Dwane Chappelle, Director of Seattle’s Department of Education and Early Learning. “Most importantly it means providing our city’s children with enriching early learning opportunities, especially to those furthest from educational justice, so that all children have a strong foundation to learn, play, and grow.”
The department has begun contacting families who were previously denied due to income thresholds to inform them they are now eligible.
“We raised the income threshold and are contacting families that were previously denied because of the income cap,” said Dela Cruz. “We realize that Seattle just has a higher cost of living based on the area median income, and we are aligning to that and recognizing that the cost of raising a family in Seattle is higher than everywhere else. So, by raising our income eligibility to better match the area median income, we hope that more families will now be eligible.”
To qualify, families must live within Seattle city limits, have an income below 110 percent of the State Median Income, not be served by other subsidy programs such as Best Starts for Kids or Working Child Care Connections unless they are ineligible, and demonstrate a need for childcare based on work, school, or training schedules.
More than 290 childcare providers in Seattle accept CCAP vouchers, offering options that include center-based care, home-based family childcare, and school-age programs such as before- and after-school and summer care.
“Raising the CCAP income threshold is vital to ensuring more families can access the early learning their children need to thrive,” said Laura Nicholson, Executive Director at Launch and a current CCAP partner. “As the cost of providing high-quality care continues to rise, this change helps Launch remain a sustainable business while supporting hardworking families who may not qualify for state subsidies.”
Families can apply at seattle.gov/CCAP. Translated applications are available. For in-language assistance, families can call (206) 386-1050 or email CCAP@seattle.gov.
