Washington program

Help paying for child care (Working Connections Child Care)

Pays part of the cost of care for a sibling while a parent works or studies. You pay an income-based copayment.

What it is

Pays part of the cost of care for a sibling while a parent works or studies. You pay an income-based copayment.

Working Connections Child Care pays part of the cost of care for another child while a parent is working or in approved education; you pay an income-based copayment. Being at the hospital with a sick child is not itself a qualifying activity, so it fits a parent who keeps working. Its income line is 60% of state median income at first application.

Eligibility rules

Income at or under 60% of state median income at first application: $5,851 a month for 3 in September 2026, $6,166 from October 1, 2026. Monthly copayments run from $0 to $165 by income band in September, and $0 to $297 from October 1. Higher continuation bands do not apply to a first application.
An approved activity is generally required: employment, qualifying education, WorkFirst or Basic Food Employment and Training. Some special pathways differ.
Provider availability, the child’s eligibility and the copayment are also checked.

What you get

A subsidy paid to a participating provider you choose, less your copayment.
Care for the sibling while a parent works or studies during treatment.

If you already receive it

Authorized care is generally not reduced during the existing eligibility period except for listed reasons; separate termination rules apply. Ask for a decision under the current authorization before assuming leave ends it.

If you decide to apply

Call DCYF with your work-and-leave details, or your current authorization if you have one.
Ask which hours would be authorized and what the monthly copayment would be.
If the need is hospital-time care, ask for a clear eligibility decision before relying on it.

DCYF, 844-626-8687 · official page · Official page ↗

What to bring

Current authorization dates, employer leave and return information, income and the children’s schedule.

Good to know

For care during hospital days specifically, ask the hospital social worker about practical sibling-care support; that is a separate conversation from this subsidy.

Other details

Renewal and extra sibling-care hours are separate decisions. A hospital letter explains the need but does not itself establish eligibility.

Official sources

Ask your social worker

“Could child-care help matter for any child in our household, and is there separate help for the days we are at the hospital?”

Why I’m asking: We need reliable care for other children during treatment.

More background and detailed requirements

Already approved for child-care assistance?

Call DCYF before assuming leave ends the help. Authorized care generally is not reduced during the existing eligibility period except for the listed reasons, and separate termination rules apply. Ask for a decision under the current authorization. A new application, renewal or request for extra hours needs a separate check.

How this could help

A family chooses a participating provider, pays its assigned copayment and the state pays the approved subsidy. It can help with other children’s care when a parent continues working or studying during cancer treatment.

Spending time at the hospital with a sick child is not, by itself, an established qualifying activity in this guide. Do not plan on this subsidy for hospital-only sibling care without an agency decision. Ask the hospital separately about practical sibling-care support.

What to know before you apply

At first application, the published income requirement is below 60% of state median income; this is a different measure from the poverty level.
An approved activity such as employment, qualifying education, WorkFirst or Basic Food Employment and Training generally must apply. Some special eligibility pathways have different rules.
Provider availability, the child’s eligibility and the copayment must also be checked.

Your next steps

Use the official WCCC page to apply and identify the work, study or other qualifying activity.
Ask DCYF which hours are authorized and what the monthly copayment would be.
If the need is specifically hospital-time care, ask for a clear eligibility decision before relying on the subsidy.

at or under 60% of the state median income at initial application

Washington

Employment, qualifying education, WorkFirst/BFET or another established pathway; hospital attendance alone is not treated as an approved activity in this guide.

Additional program information and published rules

Who does what

The three parts, side by side. The agency decides; nobody on this page does.

You

Apply with income and approved-activity information.

Your social worker

The agency decides the approved activity and the copayment.

The care team

Help identify practical sibling-care support; medical documentation does not itself establish WCCC eligibility.

Who decides: The Department of Children, Youth, and Families.
Ask your social worker: “Does our work or study situation qualify us for child-care assistance, and what help is available for hospital-time sibling care?”

How to apply

First step: Use the official WCCC page to apply and identify the work, study or other qualifying activity.

Use the official WCCC page to apply and identify the work, study or other qualifying activity.
Ask DCYF which hours are authorized and what the monthly copayment would be.
If the need is specifically hospital-time care, ask for a clear eligibility decision before relying on the subsidy.

Official application / program page ↗

Where it starts: Use the official WCCC page to apply and identify the work, study or other qualifying activity.

What to gather

Current household income
Children’s ages
Work, study or other approved-activity information

How long: No published clock was found.

What a yes looks like

An approved provider and a copayment amount.

What a no looks like, and the next move

Read the reason for denial and ask about appeal rights or other child-care support.

Watch out

At first application, the published income requirement is below 60% of state median income; this is a different measure from the poverty level.
An approved activity such as employment, qualifying education, WorkFirst or Basic Food Employment and Training generally must apply. Some special eligibility pathways have different rules.
Provider availability, the child’s eligibility and the copayment must also be checked.

Dates that change this

2026-09-10: The dollar lines for this programme were published without a dated effective period, so none are printed here; ask the agency for today's figure.

The numbers and the rules

The arcane layer, kept on purpose. Checked September 11, 2026.

What it is worth

Help with child-care costs for a household at or under 60% of the state median income at application.

$60/month — Share of state median income used at a first application

Covers: Subsidised child care for other children in the household

What it costs the family: A copayment set by the agency.

The eligibility facts, as published

Income: at or under 60% of the state median income at initial application
Residency: Washington
Approved activity: Employment, qualifying education, WorkFirst/BFET or another established pathway; hospital attendance alone is not treated as an approved activity in this guide.

Decisions this site cannot make: Approved-activity determination

Expect friction on: Getting hospital time recognised as an approved activity

The trap: Spending time at the hospital with a sick child is not, by itself, an established qualifying activity in this guide. Do not plan on this subsidy for hospital-only sibling care without an agency decision. Ask the hospital separately about practical sibling-care support.

Where I read this

DCYF: Working Connections Child Care — Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families, read September 10, 2026

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