Working Connections Child Care.
Working Connections Child Care (WCCC) is a federally and state-funded program administered by the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) that provides subsidies for child care while a parent is working or participating in approved work-related activities. The WCCC program is available to families who meet certain eligibility and household income requirements.
Eligibility for WCCC.
Eligibility requirements for WCCC are found in both statute and DCYF rules.
In general, to qualify for the WCCC program, a family must have a household income at or below 60 percent of the state median income (SMI), adjusted for family size. Beginning July 1, 2025, a family is eligible for WCCC program benefits when the household's annual income is above 60 percent and at or below 75 percent of the SMI, adjusted for family size, and beginning July 1, 2027, if funds are appropriated, when the household's annual income is up to 85 percent of the SMI, adjusted for family size. Depending on income, families may be required to pay a monthly copayment to their provider.
Examples of other eligibility requirements include that the child is age-eligible, that the parent and child reside in Washington, that the parent has parental control of the child, and that the parent does not have assets exceeding a certain threshold. Additionally, to be eligible for WCCC benefits, the parent must be engaged in an approved activity as defined in agency rules. Approved activities include employment, self-employment, certain educational and training programs, and other identified activities.
The DCYF may not consider the immigration status of an applicant or consumer's child when determining eligibility for WCCC benefits.
Exceptions and Special Eligibility Rules.
Approved Activities.
The DCYF may not require an applicant or consumer to meet work requirements as a condition of receiving the WCCC program benefits when the recipient is enrolled in a state registered apprenticeship or is a full-time student of a community, technical, or tribal college, and is enrolled in certain programs. Subject to appropriations, the DCYF may waive work requirements for full-time students who are enrolled in a bachelor's degree or applied baccalaureate degree program.
Categorical Eligibility.
The DCYF is required to maintain policies to allow WCCC eligibility for families in these categories:
Families meeting these criteria are not required to meet most other eligibility requirements or pay a copay to the provider.
Expanded Eligibility.
There are several categories of expanded eligibility for WCCC. These categories include:
Persons in these categories must otherwise meet program eligibility requirements in order to qualify for the WCCC program. Copays are waived in some, but not all circumstances.
Existing statutory provisions governing the WCCC program are categorized and put into the following structure, and reorganized into a subchapter with the heading of "subsidized child care":
References to supplementary DCYF eligibility rules are included where relevant.
In addition, dates indicating deadlines that are in the past and no longer applicable are removed, as are other outdated references. A provision assigning a report that was due in 2011 is repealed. A reference to "immigration" status of an applicant or consumer's child is changed to "citizenship" status.