Working Connections Child Care for Washington Kinship Caregivers

Childcare is one of the largest single expenses a kinship caregiver faces, and many grandparents and relatives don't realize Washington has a subsidy that can cover most or all of it. Working Connections Child Care (WCCC) is administered by the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) under WAC Chapter 110-15, and the program has specific rules for relative caregivers.

Standard WCCC for Kinship Caregivers

To qualify for the standard Working Connections subsidy, a relative caregiver must be participating in an approved activity — working, searching for a job, or enrolled in an educational or training program. An exemption based on age or disability may apply; confirm your situation with DCYF.

Income eligibility is based on household size and the state's income threshold for the program. Copays are calculated on a sliding scale — the lower your income, the lower the copay. At the bottom of the income scale, copays can be as low as $0.

Apply through Washington Connection (washingtonconnection.org) or the DCYF Subsidy Call Center at 1-844-620-1927. You can also visit your local DCYF Regional Office.

The Child Welfare Pathway: Zero Copay, No Work Requirement

There's a separate, more generous pathway for families coming out of the formal child welfare system. When a child exits a DCYF dependency (a court-ordered placement under RCW 13.34) into a guardianship, the family may qualify for Child Welfare Continuing Child Care (CWCCC).

CWCCC provides up to 12 months of childcare with:

• No copays — the subsidy covers the full cost
• No work or activity requirement for the caregiver
• The referral must be submitted before the child welfare case closes

This is a critical window. If the DCYF caseworker doesn't make the CWCCC referral before case closure, the family loses access to this pathway and must apply through the standard route with its work requirements and copays.

What WCCC Covers

The subsidy pays a licensed childcare provider directly. It covers:

• Licensed daycare centers
• Licensed family home childcare
• Before and after school care
• Summer care during school breaks

DCYF sets maximum payment rates by county and age of the child. If the provider's rate exceeds DCYF's maximum, the family pays the difference. Many providers in the WCCC network accept the subsidy rate as full payment.

Kinship Caregivers as Childcare Providers

A question that comes up frequently: can a relative provide childcare for the child and receive the WCCC payment? Provider payments depend on DCYF authorization and licensing rules. Ask DCYF whether a relative in your circumstances can be approved as a provider before relying on that arrangement.

Connecting Childcare With Other Benefits

Childcare subsidies are one part of a broader set of programs available to kinship caregivers. The Washington Financial Help for Kinship Caregivers guide covers how WCCC fits with TANF child-only cash, Basic Food, Apple Health, and KCSP emergency funds — including the application sequence that maximizes what you qualify for.

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