New Income Eligibility Guidelines Expand Access to City’s Child Care Assistance Program for Seattle Families

Families are encouraged to apply today to save up to $807 a month on childcare costs for November & December! 

Seattle – Effective immediately, the City of Seattle is announcing new expanded eligibility for the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) making 2,000 new Seattle families eligible for licensed child care co-pay support. A 2023 report analyzing the true cost of child care indicated that Seattle-King County families spend an average of 20% or more of their household income on child care costs. The new policy seeks to reduce this expense for even more families.  

"Expanding access to affordable child care comes at a crucial moment for many Seattle families already facing economic hardships during these uncertain times," said Mayor Bruce 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 change, financial eligibility will increase to better align with the Area Median Income (AMI) or Seattle’s average household income. Families who earn up to $128,724 annually for a family of three and $153,244 annually for a family of four are eligible to apply. For applications completed by November 30, families enrolled with participating providers may receive up to $807 a month in co-pay support before the end of 2025. The CCAP program does not have a waitlist and is actively enrolling families. Families are invited to apply via the online portal. Across all income brackets, CCAP families receive an average of $10,000 in annual cost savings through CCAP and can access care for their children ages zero to 13 at 290 participating provider sites citywide. 

“This eligibility expansion comes at a time when the cost of living in Seattle is higher than ever,” said Councilmember Maritza Rivera (District 4). “With this change, we are supporting more working families with affordable, high-quality childcare.”  

“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.” 

Administered by the Department of Education and Early Learning (DEEL), the CCAP program is proposed to be funded by the 2025 Families, Education, Preschool and Promise Levy through 2032. CCAP expansion makes more families eligible for assistance, easing financial pressures on middle-income households, single parent households, and improving access to early learning opportunities across the city. By increasing childcare affordability for families and making direct payments to providers, CCAP also supports childcare providers in Seattle – the majority of which are women, minority, or small business owners – by providing a dependable source of revenue.  

DEEL has started contacting families who were previously deemed ineligible for the program to inform them they are now eligible. A parent of a 4-year-old who attends full time care was enthusiastic about the news. “Without the support of both the Seattle Preschool Program and the Child Care Assistance Program, having our child in care simply wouldn’t be possible,” said the Genesee neighborhood parent. 

“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 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. With the cost of staffing, supplies, and operations continuing to rise, increasing the threshold also helps Launch remain a sustainable nonprofit business, able to balance the real costs of quality care with equitable access for all families.” 

For families to qualify for CCAP, they must:   

• Live within the Seattle city limits   

• NEW* have an income below 110% of the State Median Income (SMI)   

• Not served by other child care subsidy programs such as Best Starts for Kids or demonstrate ineligibility for Working Child Care Connections 

• Have a demonstrated need for child care based on work, school, or training schedule, enrollment in a qualified job training or education program, or other circumstances resulting in the need for child care during certain hours of the day 

Income eligibility guidelines can be found on the CCAP webpage. 

More than 290 licensed child care provider locations in the city of Seattle accept CCAP vouchers, and families can choose from center-based child care, home-based Family Child Care, and school-age programs, including before- and after-school and summer programs. Families can start the application process at seattle.gov/CCAP. Translated applications are also available, for additional in-language assistance, contact (206) 386-1050 or email CCAP@seattle.gov.   

Seattle Department of Education and Early Learning’s mission is to transform the lives of Seattle children, youth, and families through strategic investments in education. www.seattle.gov/education