The bill amends existing laws related to the Working Connections Child Care program in Washington State, aiming to enhance access to affordable, high-quality child care for working families. It establishes new eligibility criteria based on household income, allowing families with incomes at or below 60% of the state median income to qualify, with future expansions to include families earning up to 75% of the median income by 2031. Additionally, the bill mandates that the department must stop accepting new entries to the program from July 1, 2026, to December 31, 2026, with exceptions for certain families, and outlines a management plan to maintain an average monthly caseload of no more than 33,000 households starting January 1, 2027.

Furthermore, the bill modifies child care subsidy rates, changing the base rate to achieve the 75th percentile of the market rather than the previously established 85th percentile. It also emphasizes the need for the department to develop a child care cost estimate model to ensure that subsidy rates adequately reflect the full costs of providing high-quality child care. The bill repeals RCW 43.216.827, which pertains to prospective payments, indicating a shift in how child care funding will be managed. Overall, the legislation seeks to improve child care access and affordability while ensuring that subsidy rates are aligned with market conditions.

Statutes affected:
Original bill: 43.216.802, 43.216.828, 43.216.827