Washington Administrative Code

(1) Families with children are eligible for WCCC benefits for a 12-month period if the consumer is a Washington state resident and their children are living with a biological parent or guardian and:(a) In the six months prior to application or reapplication for WCCC benefits, the…

When consumers apply for or receive WCCC benefits, they have the right to:(1) Be free from discrimination in accordance with all applicable federal and state nondiscrimination laws, regulations, and policies;(2) Have WCCC eligibility determined within 30 days from the application…

When a person applies for or receives WCCC benefits, as a condition of receiving those benefits, the applicant or consumer must:(1) Give DSHS correct and current information so DSHS can determine eligibility and authorize child care payments correctly;(2) Choose a provider who me…

(1) Consumers applying for or receiving WCCC benefits must:(a) Notify DCYF within five days of:(i) Starting care with a provider; or(ii) Any change in providers, including changes in providers' locations.(b) Notify DCYF within 10 days of:(i) Changes of the address or telephone nu…

Child care providers who accept child care subsidies must do the following:(1) Licensed or certified child care providers who accept child care subsidies must comply with all child care licensing or certification requirements contained in this chapter, chapter 43.216 RCW and chap…

DSHS is responsible to:(1) Treat consumers in accordance with all applicable federal and state nondiscrimination laws, regulations, and policies;(2) Determine a consumer's eligibility within thirty days from the date the consumer applied (application date as described in WAC 110-…

(1) Licensed providers may claim child care subsidy or fee payments as described in this subsection.(a) Authorized units of care.(i) A half-day unit of care is equal to less than five hours of care per day that is authorized and provided by a child care center.(ii) A full-day uni…

(1) Applicants and consumers who participate in WorkFirst activities may be eligible for WCCC benefits for the following approved activities in their individual responsibility plans (IRPs), for up to a maximum of sixteen hours per day, including:(a) An approved WorkFirst activity…

Applicants and consumers:(1) Not participating in WorkFirst activities may be eligible for WCCC benefits for the following approved activities:(a) Employment;(b) Self-employment;(c) Supplemental nutrition assistance program employment and training (SNAP E&T);(d) Have a child enro…

Eligible self-employed WCCC consumers may be eligible, pursuant to WAC 110-15-0190, for up to 16 hours per day of child care for approved self-employment, education, training, and travel hours.(1) To be considered self-employed, WCCC consumers must:(a) Earn income directly from t…

DSHS counts income as money an applicant or consumer earns or receives him or herself, or on behalf of the child from:(1) A TANF grant, except when the grant is for the first three consecutive calendar months after the consumer starts a new job. The first calendar month is the mo…

The department uses a consumer's countable income when determining income eligibility and copayment. A consumer's countable income is the sum of all their income listed in WAC 110-15-0060 minus any child support paid out through a court order, division of child support administra…

(1) DSHS does not count the following income types when determining a consumer's income eligibility and copayment:(a) Income types as defined in WAC 388-450-0035, 388-450-0040, and 388-450-0055;(b) Compensatory awards, such as an insurance settlement or court-ordered payment for …

(1) The department determines consumers' eligibility and copayments, when care is provided under a WCCC voucher or contract, by:(a) Family size as described in WAC 110-15-0015; and(b) Countable income as described in WAC 110-15-0065.(2) The department calculates consumers' copaym…

(1) A consumer who meets all of the requirements of part II of this chapter is eligible to receive WCCC subsidies for twelve months. The twelve-month eligibility period in this subsection applies only if enrollments in the WCCC program are capped as provided in WAC 170-290-0001(1…

(1) Consumers' copayments may change when:(a) Their monthly income decreases;(b) Their family size increases and causes the copayment to decrease;(c) DCYF makes an error in their copayment computation;(d) They did not report all income, activity and household information at the t…

(1) WCCC benefits for eligible consumers begin when the following conditions are met:(a) They have completed the required WCCC application and verification process within 30 days of the date DCYF received their application for WCCC benefits; and(b) For newly eligible consumers, w…

The provider is eligible to receive payment when both of the following are met:(1) The consumer has chosen the eligible provider (under WAC 110-15-0125) and the provider is caring for the children during an eligibility period; and(2) DSHS notifies the provider that the consumer i…

(1) DSHS sends a denial letter when the consumer has applied for child care and the consumer:(a) Withdraws the request;(b) Is not eligible due to the consumer's:(i) Family composition;(ii) Income;(iii) Outstanding unpaid copayment; or(iv) Approved activity; or(c) Did not provide …

(1) For WCCC benefits to be continued without interruption into the new eligibility period, consumers must reapply for WCCC benefits on or before the end date of their current eligibility period.(2) Determination of consumers' eligibility to receive uninterrupted WCCC benefits be…

(1) Consumers' eligibility for WCCC benefits is terminated if they fail to:(a) Comply with the requirements of WAC 110-15-0030;(b) Complete the WorkFirst orientation process when approved for TANF; or(c) Cooperate with the child care subsidy audit process and investigations invol…

DCYF does not give a consumer written notice of changes to WCCC eligibility or provider payments when:(1) The consumer tells DCYF that he or she no longer wants WCCC;(2) The consumer has not informed DCYF of his or her new mailing address; or(3) DCYF has determined that children …

(1) In-home/relative providers. To be approved to receive benefits under the WCCC program, in-home/relative providers must comply with the applicable requirements contained in this chapter, chapter 43.216 RCW, and chapters 110-06 and 110-16 WAC.(2) Licensed providers.(a) To be ap…

(1) Within ninety days of initial approval to receive WCCC or SCC benefits, providers must adopt the department's electronic attendance recordkeeping system or a department-approved electronic attendance recordkeeping system to record a child's attendance. Ninety days following a…

State child care subsidy rates in part II of this chapter are subject to legislative change.[WSR 18-14-078, recodified as § 110-15-0180, filed 6/29/18, effective 7/1/18. Statutory Authority: RCW 43.215.060, 43.215.070, and chapter 43.215 RCW. WSR 16-09-059, § 170-290-0180, filed …

(1) DCYF determines the amount of care consumers may receive at application or reapplication. Once the care is authorized, the amount will not be reduced during the eligibility period unless:(a) Consumers request reductions;(b) The care is for school-aged children;(c) The authori…

(1) Base rate. Effective July 1, 2023, the child care subsidy rates paid to licensed or certified child care centers or DCYF contracted seasonal day camps are: Infants(Birth - 11 mos.)Toddlers(12 - 29 mos.)Preschool(30 mos. - 6 yrs notattending kindergartenor school)School-age(5 …

(1) Monthly unit. DCYF authorizes care as monthly units as described in WAC 110-15-0190, the calculation of which is based on the full-day, partial-day, and half-day rates in subsection (2) of this section.(2) Effective July 1, 2023, DCYF calculates licensed or certified family h…

(1) Providers receiving payment under the WCCC program will receive a tiered reimbursement as outlined in the Early Achievers Operating Guidelines, available on DCYF's website.(2) Quality improvement awards, as described by chapter 43.216 RCW, are reserved for early achievers par…

(1) Subject to available funds, DCYF will provide trauma-informed care support to aid eligible providers. For the purposes of this section, "eligible providers" means:(a) An employee or owner of a licensed or certified child care center or outdoor nature-based program that accept…

Licensed and certified child care providers accepting state subsidy may receive an infant enhancement payment of $300 per month for each infant who is enrolled in their child care and attends at least one day per month.[Statutory Authority: Chapter 34.05 RCW, RCW 43.216.020, 43.2…

(1) Qualification. To qualify for a special needs rate in addition to the base rate, the consumer must request a special needs review for the child. The child must either:(a) Be thirteen up to nineteen years of age and be under court supervision; or(b) Be less than nineteen years…

(1) In addition to the base rate for licensed or certified child care centers and seasonal day camps listed in WAC 110-15-0200, DCYF may authorize the following additional special needs daily rates which are reasonable and verifiable as provided in WAC 110-15-0220:(a) Level 1. Th…

(1) In addition to the base rate for licensed or certified family home child care providers listed in WAC 170-290-0205, DSHS may authorize the following additional special needs daily rates which are reasonable and verifiable as provided in WAC 170-290-0220:(a) Level 1. The daily…

(1) In addition to the highest base rate as provided in WAC 170-290-0240(1), the state may authorize the following additional special needs rate:(a) Level 1. Sixty-two cents per hour; or (b) Level 2. A rate greater than Level 1, but not to exceed $9.41 per hour.(2) If other child…

(1) Base rate. When consumers employ in-home/relative providers, DCYF pays $3.85 per hour per child. Beginning July 1, 2024, the maximum child care subsidy rate is $4.00 per hour per child.(2) DCYF may pay above the maximum hourly rate for children who have special needs pursuant…

(1) DSHS may pay licensed or certified child care providers and DEL contracted seasonal day camps a registration fee when:(a) A child is first enrolled by the consumer for child care with a provider;(b) A consumer enrolls their child with a new child care provider during their el…

(1) As funding allows, DCYF pays licensed or certified family home child care providers and in-home/relative providers a monthly field trip/quality enhancement fee up to $30 per child or the providers' actual cost for the field trip, if the fee is required of all parents and guar…

(1) Consumers' providers may receive a nonstandard hours bonus (NSHB) payment per child per month for care provided if:(a) The providers are licensed or certified;(b) They provide at least 30 hours of nonstandard hours care during one month; and(c) The total cost of the state's N…

(1) DSHS may pay:(a) Licensed and certified providers for authorized care up to the provider's licensed capacity as determined under WAC 110-300B-5700, 110-300A-0080, or 110-305-5625, as appropriate; and(b) In-home/relative providers for authorized care up to a maximum of six eli…

(1) Payment discrepancies include both underpayments and overpayments.(2) For consumers not covered under WAC 110-15-0267 through 110-15-0275, payment discrepancies are subject to chapter 388-410 WAC.(3) For providers covered under the collective bargaining agreement, all other p…

(1) Underpayments to providers occur when DCYF pays less than the amount providers are eligible to receive.(2) Underpayment requests will only be considered by DCYF if providers submit their original invoice for payment to DCYF no later than three months after the date of service…

(1) An overpayment occurs when providers receive payments that are more than providers are eligible to receive. Provider overpayments may be established when providers:(a) Bill and receive payments for services not provided;(b) Bill without attendance records that support the bil…

If a copayment amount determined by DSHS for a consumer results in an underpayment, the consumer may request reimbursement within three years of the date of child care service, if the consumer:(1) Meets all WCCC eligibility requirements during the time the consumer is claiming an…

(1) DCYF establishes overpayments for past or current consumers when the consumer:(a) Received benefits in an amount greater than the consumer was eligible to receive;(b) Received benefits or services based on the eligibility criteria of the consumer's participation in an approve…

(1) This section applies to all child care providers.(2) Providers must submit a billing invoice for payment within three months of the date child care services are provided. Any invoice submitted more than three months from date child care services are provided will not be proce…

Eligible child care providers described in WAC 170-290-0125 must comply with all provider responsibilities listed in WAC 170-290-0034. Failure to comply causing a provider overpayment will result in a program violation finding and may cause the agency to impose sanctions.(1) Admi…

A consumer who has been convicted of fraud to obtain child care subsidy benefits will be disqualified from receiving child care subsidy program benefits for five years."Conviction" or "convicted" means a finding by a state or federal court that an individual is guilty of a crimin…

(1) The department will inform and consult child care providers when intentional and unintentional program violations result in provider overpayments.(2) Sanctions are imposed to ensure providers comply with program rules and to mitigate repeat violations which result in overpaym…

(1) Consumers: Consumers who disagree with DCYF's decisions affecting their WCCC benefits have administrative hearing rights under chapter 110-03 WAC.(a) Consumers' requests for hearing:(i) May be made by contacting DCYF in-person, by telephone, or by serving DCYF with written re…