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Best Starts for Kids Child Care Subsidy
Best Starts for Kids is a King County voter-approved initiative to support every baby born or child raised in King County to reach adulthood happy, healthy, safe, and thriving. Starting in 2022, these investments include $20 million per year for a new child care subsidy program!
Hello, and thank you for your interest in the Best Starts for Kids Child Care Subsidy program. Due to high demand and limited resources, the program is at capacity and applications are not being accepted at this time. The waitlist is temporarily closed until further notice.
Who is eligible?
Your family may be eligible for the Best Starts for Kids Child Care Subsidy if you:
Fall below the income cap
Pre-tax monthly household income must fall below the limit for your family size. See household Income Table.
Are not eligible for the State Working Connections Child Care (WCCC) subsidy program
If you meet the eligibility for WCCC, you will be asked to apply for that first.
Need child care
Have a child or children age 12 or under.
Choose an eligible child care provider
Child care providers must be licensed and in good standing with the State of Washington. Check the licensing status of your child care provider or find a provider at: https://www.findchildcarewa.org/
Monthly Household Income Limit
Household Size
85% State Median Income
2
$5,158
3
$6,372
4
$7,585
5
$8,799
6
$10,012
7
$10,240
8
$10,468
9
$10,695
10
$10,923
For information about larger household sizes, please text (206) 208-6865
or email support@bskchildcare.org
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program eligibility
Monthly income and approximate copayment by household size
How do I join the waitlist?
Join the waitlist!
Step 1: Eligibility Form
Complete the 5-minute eligibility form to find out if you may be eligible for the subsidy. Please note: this step does not guarantee you child care funding and will place you on our waitlist due to high demand.
Within two days of eligibility form submission
Step 2: Waitlist Notification
After submitting the eligibility form, you will be placed on our waitlist if you appear eligible for the subsidy. We will contact you when funding may be available.
Step 3: Invitation to Complete Full Application (when funding may be available)
When funding may be available for your family, we will contact you and invite you to complete the full application where you verify your identity, income, and address.
Step 4: Full Application and Provider Selection
Complete a full application, verify identity, income, and address documentation, and select a child care provider to register them to receive payments.
How do I get support?
Need language support? Need to report something not working correctly? Have questions about the eligibility form or waitlist? Send us a text, email, or call!
Text Us
For the fastest response, send us a text, and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible! (Messaging & data rates may apply)
Text us
(206) 329-5842
(206) 329-5842
Email Us
Email the team with your questions or a brief description of your issue, and we’ll get back to you as quickly as possible!
Email us
support@bskchildcare.org
support@bskchildcare.org
Call Us
Call our team if you have questions, need to know where you can get application assistance or need to report a problem with the application form.
Call us
(206) 329-5842
(206) 329-5842
Available Monday - Friday, 9 am -5 pm
Support across multiple languages
1 business day response time
Frequently Asked Questions
Eligibility
Waitlist
Calculating Household Size and Income
Eligibility Form and Selection Process
Privacy, Security, and Fraud
Why does the eligibility form ask such personal questions?
Scholar Fund is collecting the information we need to assess your eligibility for both the Best Starts for Kids Child Care Subsidy and the State’s Working Connections Child Care (WCCC) program.
If you are eligible for WCCC, you cannot receive the Best Starts Subsidy. We understand that some of this information is sensitive and where possible, have made these questions optional. We identify questions where your information will never be shared with King County or other government agencies connected to your name.
Best Starts is committed to expanding access for families who have experienced disproportionate barriers in accessing child care. Some of the questions we ask help us better understand who we are serving with the child care subsidy.For more information about our privacy policy, see: Privacy Policy (scholarfundwa.org)
Why do you ask about my activities? Is there an activity requirement to receive the Best Starts Subsidy?
There is no activity requirement for Best Starts for Kids Child Care Subsidy. We ask about your activities to assess your family’s eligibility for Working Connections. If your family is eligible for Working Connections, you must use that subsidy.
Do I or my children need to be U.S. citizens or legal residents to receive funding?
No. There is no citizenship or legal residency requirement to apply.
The following families, who meet all other eligibility requirements, are encouraged to apply:
- Families with one or more undocumented members
- Refugees
- Asylum seekers
- COFA migrants
- DACA recipients
I do not currently have permanent housing. Am I able to apply if I do not have a mailing address in King County?
Yes. Eligible applicants without permanent housing are encouraged to apply. We will offer other ways to verify that your family lives in King County.
If I am on Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), am I still eligible?
Yes. Because those who receive SSI or SSDI are not eligible for Washington State Working Connections Child Care Subsidy (WCCC), you are eligible for the Best Starts Child Care Subsidy, provided your household meets all other eligibility requirements.
I receive a subsidy from another program. Can I get this one too?
- If you are eligible for or receiving the State’s Working Connections Child Care subsidy, you are not eligible to receive the Best Starts subsidy.
- For all other child care funding sources (for example Goodwin Connections, a scholarship from a child care provider etc.), if you are selected for Best Starts for Kids, we will pay the child care provider what we determine to be your rate and the other funding source may pay the balance owed to the provider, if there is any.
What does it mean to be on the waitlist?
Being on the waitlist means that you have submitted your eligibility form for the Best Starts for Kids Child Care Subsidy program, but due to high demand and limited availability, we cannot immediately offer you funding. We will notify you when funding may be available.
How long will I have to wait on the waitlist?
The wait time will vary. We will notify you when funding may be available for your family.
Can I update my eligibility form while on the waitlist?
Yes, if you need to update or correct an error on your eligibility form, please reach out to our Family Access and Support team by call or text at (206) 329-5842 or an email at support@bskchildcare.org
Can my eligibility change while I am on the waitlist?
Your eligibility status may change if there are updates to your family's circumstances or if the program's eligibility criteria change. We recommend reaching out to the Family Access and Support team by call or text at (206) 208-6865 or an email at support@bskchildcare.org if there are significant changes to your family's situation.
How will I be notified when funding becomes available?
We will notify you via email and text message when funding may be available for your child. At that time, you will be invited to submit the full application, requiring verification of your residency and income. Please ensure that your contact information is up-to-date and check your notifications regularly for updates from our team.
Can I apply to other child care assistance programs while on the waitlist?
Yes, we encourage you to explore other child care assistance programs that may be available to your family. Being on the waitlist for our program does not affect your eligibility for other programs.
What can I do to increase my chances of getting off the waitlist sooner?
While we cannot guarantee a specific timeline for getting off the waitlist, you can ensure that your eligibility form and contact information are complete, accurate, and up-to-date. This will help our team contact you as efficiently as possible when funding may be available.
How do I calculate my household size?
For the purposes of this program, your “household” includes the following people:
- Yourself
- Children under the age of 18 that live with you (regardless of child care need)
- 18 year old children who live with you and are still in high school; and
- Up to one other adult who lives with you and fits one of the following descriptions: a) your spouse, b) your domestic partner, or c) your significant other with whom you have a child.
For the purposes of this program, the following people are not counted in your household size:
- Boyfriend, girlfriend or significant other with whom you do NOT have a child
- Grandparents or other adult family members who live with you
- Children 18 and older who are no longer in high school
- Your children’s biological parent, if that parent does not live with you.
- Adult dependents
- Roommates
We live with multiple families. How should we apply?
Each parent/guardian should submit a separate application for their family.
How do I calculate my gross (pre-tax) monthly income?
Your gross monthly income includes all income, before any deductions or expenses, earned by yourself and up to one other adult who lives with you and fits one of the following descriptions- your spouse, your domestic partner, or your significant other with whom you have a child. Please also include any income from disability, unemployment insurance, child support, alimony etc.
I think I am eligible for the subsidy. If I submit an interest form, will I be guaranteed child care funding?
Because this is a new program, we do not yet know how many families will apply. Submitting an eligibility form will NOT guarantee you receive child care funding. There may be more families interested than we have funding to serve. We will contact you by text and email if you are selected to complete a full application by the end of September 2022.
The selection process is NOT first-come, first-served. We will be using a lottery system to make selections by the end of September. Eligible applicants not selected in the first round will remain in the selection pool, and as spots become available, will have regular opportunities for selection.
If I am selected by the end of September to complete a full application, when might I receive a subsidy?
Those families selected in the first round will likely receive a subsidy that can start November 1st. We will not pay for child care used before the subsidy starts. If you use care before November 1st, you will be responsible for paying for it.
If I am selected, how much funding will I get?
A selected family’s subsidy rate will be calculated by a number of factors, including age of each child needing care, family income and household size. The amount per child will be shared with the family after they have been selected to fully enroll in the program.
Scholar Fund will pay the determined amount directly to the child care provider on a monthly basis. Any part of the bill not covered by the Best Starts Subsidy will be the responsibility of the family.
Are there other options if I am not selected for the Best Starts for Kids Child Care Subsidy?
Eligible applicants who are not invited to complete an application for the subsidy will automatically remain in our selection pool. We anticipate spots opening up over time so it will be possible to be selected months after filling out the eligibility form. If you are not selected, we will send you a list of other resources that may be able to support you with the cost of child care.
I do not have a computer or access to the Internet. Are there other options for me to apply?
Text or call us at (206) 329-5842 and someone can help you fill out the application over the phone.
What happens if my household submits a duplicate interest form by mistake? Are we disqualified as a result?
If your household submits multiple eligibility forms by mistake, Scholar Fund (Scholarship Junkies) will be able to identify that multiple applications from the same household were submitted. You will not be disqualified.
Is the information I provide in the application confidential?
The non-profit organization Scholar Fund is responsible for collecting the information you voluntarily submit on the online application for the Best Starts for Kids Child Care Subsidy. Scholar Fund has instituted appropriate physical, electronic, and managerial procedures to safeguard and secure your information. Scholar Fund does not voluntarily share your personal data without your permission and except as outlined in its Privacy Policy. This includes your personal data being shared with the King County Department of Community and Human Services for audit purposes.
You can access Scholar Funds Privacy Policy here (English only).
Is my information safe?
Scholar Fund deploys appropriate physical, electronic, and managerial procedures to safeguard and secure the personal information you provide, including to help prevent unauthorized access, maintain data accuracy, and ensure the correct use of personal information. Further, Scholar Fund does not share personal information with third parties except in limited circumstances as outlined in the Scholar Fund Privacy Policy.
When appropriate, Scholar Fund only shares aggregate and anonymized information with third parties so as not to include personally identifying information. For example, Scholar Fund will submit periodic reports to the Best Starts for Kids Child Care Subsidy Program, but such reports will only include your data at an aggregate-level in de-identified format, including ZIP code of residence, service outcomes, and demographic information.
Personal information will only be retained for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, there is an ongoing legitimate purpose to retain the data (such as contractual obligations or identity verification), or to comply with legal or auditing requirements.
How will the Best Starts for Kids Child Care Subsidy Program prevent fraud?
In order to reduce fraud and avoid duplicates, Scholar Fund has developed several mechanisms to screen and check applicants to spot discrepancies, which includes a thorough application review process, spam filters, and address verification. Scholar Fund personnel may also contact applicants via phone or text if application issues are detected.
Family Access and Support Team
Community partners supporting families to access child care.
Spread the word about the subsidy to your community! Get our outreach toolkit today!
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INCOME ELIGIBILITY CHART
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