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Accepts assistance

Affordable Daycare in Washington

Full-time care at a center costs a median of $328 a week for a baby and $249 for a preschooler in the middle Washington county (2022). Families who qualify can get help paying through Working Connections Child Care, and the daycares listed here accept it.

daycares that accept child care assistance listed
138
towns
64
towns have their own affordable daycare page
15
of all Washington daycares
6%

Map of Washington: each dot is a town with daycares that accept child care assistance, sized by how many are listed

Accepts assistance
What puts a daycare on this listThe state record says it accepts child care subsidies, or it says it accepts child care assistance or vouchers.The Washington license list we load does not record subsidies, so here this list has daycares that say they accept child care assistance.Accepting assistance says nothing about a daycare's own prices. A daycare without this tag may still accept assistance; ask.

Cost and help paying

What daycare costs in Washington, and help paying for it

Infant care at a center, per week, in the middle Washington county (2022)
$328
The median of 39 county medians, from $237 in the lowest county to $478 in the highest.
Preschool-age care at a center, per week, in the middle Washington county (2022)
$249
The median of 39 county medians, from $208 in the lowest county to $390 in the highest.
Head Start or Early Head Start centers in Washington
120
Free for children from birth to 5 in families who qualify, by income or because they receive public assistance.
How to apply: Working Connections Child CareHead Start in WashingtonDaycare cost in Washington, by age and county

County prices: U.S. Department of Labor, National Database of Childcare Prices, 2022 (median full-time weekly price).

Washington

Largest towns for affordable daycare in Washington

Seattle23 accept assistanceLacey6 accept assistanceSpokane6 accept assistanceKent5 accept assistanceTacoma5 accept assistanceVancouver5 accept assistanceBellingham4 accept assistanceBremerton4 accept assistanceLynnwood4 accept assistancePort Orchard4 accept assistanceSilverdale4 accept assistanceBonney Lake3 accept assistance

Programs

Programs in Washington

Counts come from the state record and what each daycare says it offers. A daycare without a tag may still offer the program; ask.

ProgramListed
All daycares2,500
Take infants752
Child care centers2,500
Accept subsidy138
In-home daycaresNone listed
Christian & church daycares163
Montessori schools184
Preschools & pre-K1,678
Early morning daycare338
Part-time daycare160
Drop-in daycare60
After-school care2,218
Bilingual daycare79
Head Start120

The Washington state record

Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families licenses daycares in Washington.

License list
The state's public list of licensed child care
Ages served
The ages on each license
Inspections
On the state's own site; each listing links to it
Search the Washington state records

Before you enroll

Paying for daycare in Washington

  1. 1

    Apply for assistance first

    Your state decides who qualifies and how much it pays. Apply through the state's child care assistance office before you choose a daycare.

  2. 2

    Ask about the copayment

    Most families pay a share of the cost. Ask the daycare whether it charges more than the state pays, and how much.

  3. 3

    Ask about open subsidy spots

    Some daycares cap how many children on assistance they take. Ask whether a spot is open now.

  4. 4

    Check the license record

    Open a listing for its state license and, where the state publishes it, the inspection record.

Washington

Cost, inspections and ratios in Washington

Daycare cost in WashingtonWeekly prices by age and countyStaff-to-child ratios in WashingtonHow many children each adult may care forDaycare tour checklistQuestions to ask when you visit

A to Z

All 64 Washington towns with affordable daycare, A to Z

A2 towns
B10 towns
C4 towns
D4 towns
E5 towns
F1 town
G1 town
I1 town
K2 towns
L6 towns
M1 town
N2 towns
O2 towns
P5 towns
R3 towns
S7 towns
T4 towns
V1 town
W2 towns
Y1 town

Nearby

Nearby states

Oregon170 accept assistanceIdaho27 accept assistance

Questions

Questions about affordable daycare in Washington

How many daycares that accept child care assistance are in Washington?

138 daycares that accept child care assistance are listed in 64 Washington towns. Accepting assistance says nothing about a daycare's own prices. A daycare without this tag may still accept assistance; ask.

Which Washington town has the most daycares that accept child care assistance?

Seattle, with 23 listed. Next are Lacey (6) and Spokane (6).

How do I apply for child care assistance in Washington?

Apply through Working Connections Child Care, run by the Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families. It is for Washington families who qualify and need help paying for child care while they work, attend school, or take part in approved training programs. Families experiencing homelessness may qualify for no-cost care. Income limits change each year, so check the current limits on the state's site.

Is there free daycare?

Some families can get it. Head Start and Early Head Start are free for children from families who qualify, and some states waive the family's share of the cost for the lowest incomes. Ask your state's child care assistance office what you qualify for.

Does a daycare that accepts assistance cost more?

Not by itself. Accepting assistance means the daycare takes payments from the state program; its own prices vary like any daycare's. Ask whether it charges more than the state pays, and how much you would pay.

How does child care assistance work?

Each state runs a child care assistance program, paid for in part by the federal Child Care and Development Fund. Families who qualify by income, and usually by working, looking for work or going to school, get help paying a daycare that accepts it; the help is often called a voucher or subsidy. Most families pay a share called a copayment, set by the state. Apply through the Washington child care assistance office.

Can I get free daycare?

Some families can. States may waive the copayment for families with the lowest incomes, and Head Start and Early Head Start are free for families who qualify. Ask your state's child care assistance office what you qualify for.

Who licenses daycares in Washington?

Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families licenses daycares in Washington. It publishes inspections on its own site; use the state search linked on this page.