Best Starts for Kids Child Care Subsidy
1. Authorization:
● Eligibility and authorization for the Best Starts for Kids Child Care Subsidy (“Best Starts Subsidy” or “the Program”) is based on your family’s residence in King County, your gross (pre-tax) household income and your household size.
● After you are approved, you do not need to report changes to these items until it’s time to renew—unless you move out of King County permanently.
● Families must tell the Program at least two weeks before they no longer live in King County.
● If you have a decrease in income, a new child in your family, or other change that may increase your subsidy amount, you may report these at any time. If this change makes you eligible for the Working Connections Child Care program, we will ask you to apply for that program.
● When children turn 13 years old, they automatically age out of the Program and become ineligible to continue receiving subsidy payments. The Program will pay until the end of month the child turns 13 years old.
● If you are approved for another child care subsidy, you must report to the Best Starts Subsidy Team. Depending on the other subsidy, this may or may not impact your eligibility or award amount for the Best Starts Subsidy.
● For example, Seattle’s CCAP and subsidies run by Seattle Parks and Rec cannot be used at the same time as Best Starts Subsidy.
● Families must tell the Program within two weeks of approval for another child care subsidy.
● If you received more than one child care subsidy without approval from the Program, you may have to pay back any Best Starts Subsidy payments you were not eligible to receive.
● If your contact information changes, please notify us as soon as possible.
● To report any of these changes call or text 206-208-6865, email support@bskchildcare.org, or submit this information via the Family Portal
● If you disagree with a decision made by Best Starts Subsidy you can contact the Program. The Program will review the case and make a decision within two (2) weeks of the appeal submission.
2. Authorization Period:
● Your child’s Best Starts Subsidy is only valid for the authorization period listed in your Subsidy Payment Authorization (SPA); each child will have a separate SPA.
● To extend your Best Starts Subsidy beyond the end authorization date listed, you must re-prove your eligibility for the subsidy.
● We will send you an email invitation to the renew via email at least sixty (60) days before the end of the authorization period.
● You must submit the renewal application by the due date, or your subsidy will not continue after the end of your current authorization period (date listed in your SPA).
● Best Starts Subsidy staff can help you with the renewal application. Interpretation services are provided for free over the phone.
● Call or text 206-208-6865, email support@bskchildcare.org to request help.
3. Payments: The Best Starts Subsidy amount often does NOT cover the full cost of your child care.
● If your Best Starts Subsidy does not pay the full amount that your provider charges, you must pay the difference each month directly to your provider.
● For example, if your subsidy is $500 per month and your provider charges $1000 per month for the care, you must pay the provider $500 per month.
● You and your provider must agree on the amount and due date for your payments. Best Starts Subsidy is not responsible for determining how much families must pay their child care provider.
● If you do not pay the provider the difference between what they charge and the amount of your Best Starts Subsidy, you may lose your subsidy.
● If the subsidy payment is more than the provider’s tuition for that month, the provider must use the extra funds to cover any unpaid fees or balances for that child for that same month (e.g., registration or program fees). They do NOT have to refund you this additional amount.
4. Enrollment and Attendance:
● Your Best Starts Subsidy requires that your child is enrolled in and attending care.
● You and your provider set your child’s schedule when your child enrolls. You must follow your provider’s attendance policy.
● Your provider reports on your child’s enrollment and attendance each month during your Best Starts Subsidy period.
● The amount of your child’s subsidy award is based upon several factors, including the amount of care requested by the family (and in some circumstances, as approved by the program).
● However, if your child is enrolled for less time than noted in your Best Starts Subsidy, your subsidy payment amount may be adjusted.
● For example, if your child is authorized for full-time care (25-50 hours per week), but your child is only enrolled for 15 hours per week (part-time care), we will pay your provider for part-time care.
● Too many absences may result in reduced hours or termination of your Best Starts Subsidy.
● If your child does not attend care for sixty (60) days in a row without Program approval for the pause, your child’s Best Starts Subsidy will end and your provider will not receive payment for days your child is out of care. You must notify the Best Starts Subsidy team of any absences longer than 30 calendar days.
5. Adjustments: In some cases, we may adjust your Best Starts Subsidy amount
● If your care needs change, for example from part-time to full time, you must give us at least two (2) weeks’ notice by completing the form in the Family Portal.
● If you are requesting an increase in care hours, you may be required to show why you need the additional hours (for example your work hours increased).
● For school-age children, Best Starts Subsidy automatically approves full-time care for breaks during the school year (Thanksgiving week in November, Winter Break in December, Mid-Winter Break in February, and Spring Break in March/April).
● If your child care needs change (i.e. increased care) during summer break, you must request this change from Best Starts Subsidy with at least two (2) weeks’ notice. Changes during the summer care period are not automatically approved by the Program.
6. Changing Providers:
● If you want to change your child’s provider, you must give the Best Starts Subsidy at least two (2) weeks’ notice by completing the form in the Family Portal.
● If you choose to leave your current provider but haven’t selected a new one, you must still notify the Best Starts Subsidy. With Best Starts Subsidy approval, your subsidy may be paused for up to 60 days, and your child must begin care again within that time to keep your subsidy. This pause will count as one of the two allowed during your approval period.
● If your child is staying with the same provider but changing locations, you must inform the Best Starts Subsidy.
● For example: if they are changing from ChildCareABC at Renton location to ChildCareABC at Seattle location, you must notify the Best Starts Team.
● You must give your current provider the notice required in their provider handbook.
● If you do not give at least two (2) weeks notice of the change, Best Starts Subsidy may require you to pay the full cost to the new provider until your Best Starts Subsidy is updated.
● Best Starts Subsidy will not begin payments to your new provider if you still have outstanding charges with the previous provider. Payments will begin when all charges and fees have been paid to the previous provider OR you have a payment plan in place and are in good standing.
● Please note that your child’s subsidy rate may change when you change providers, as the Program’s rate table changes annually.
7. Subsidy Termination:
Your subsidy may end if you:
● Give false or misleading information or fail to provide all information required to determine your eligibility
● Are approved for another subsidy program, such as Working Connections Child Care.
● Fail to follow the rules of the program (such as not reporting changes or missing deadlines).
● Do not pay your share of child care costs to your provider
● Move out of King County.
● Do not re-apply or are ineligible for the Program at renewal.
8. Important:
● The Best Starts for Kids Child Care Subsidy Program can only pay providers who are licensed by Washington State Department of Children, Youth & Families (DCYF)
● Best Starts Subsidy does not recommend or endorse any providers. The program may provide a list of child care providers to a family, however the ultimate choice of provider is your sole responsibility.
● Best Starts Subsidy encourages you to carefully interview and check references before leaving a child in care. To review DCYF licensing history on a child care provider including any complaints, you can complete a provider search at: https://www.findchildcarewa.org/
● BrightSpark does not sell or voluntarily share personal information with outside parties without the family’s consent. However, limited data may be shared with partners such as King County and other subsidy partners/funders strictly for auditing, evaluation, and reporting purposes, in alignment with BrightSpark’s Confidentiality Policy and contractual obligations. Best Starts Subsidy also reserves the right to verify information regarding eligibility and subsidy payments, including the use of other child care subsidy programs.
9. Family Responsibilities:
● You must tell the Program if there are changes to:
● You must read and sign the Subsidy Payment Authorization (by designated dates).
● You must complete reauthorization (renewal) by designated dates.
● You are responsible for paying remaining tuition balances, registration fees, or other program costs to your child care provider.
1. Provider Eligibility:
● To participate in the Best Starts for Kids Child Care Subsidy Program (Best Starts Subsidy or the Program), child care providers (“providers”) must be licensed by and in good standing with the Washington State Department of Children Youth and Families (DCYF).
● Best Starts Subsidy will verify this information upon enrollment and periodically after that.
● A child care provider cannot use Best Starts Subsidy to pay for care for their own child. This includes the person named on the child care license and the owner or director of a child care program.
● For a family home child care program, Best Starts Subsidy cannot pay for care for a child who lives at the same home address as the child care program.
● Other child care employees may be eligible for Best Starts Subsidy.
2. Subsidy Payment Authorization:
● The Subsidy Payment Authorization (SPA) is the agreement between the Program, the family, and the provider.
● The SPA shows the approved subsidy amount for each month of authorized care.
● Each child authorized for Best Starts Subsidy has their own SPA that is valid for the period listed in the SPA.
● The SPA must be signed by both the family and the child care provider within 30 days from when it was sent to the family. Payments to the provider can only be issued after the SPA is completed and submitted.
● To extend the Best Starts Subsidy beyond the end date listed, the family must re-prove their eligibility for the subsidy.
3. Provider Vendor Enrollment:
● To receive Best Starts Subsidy payments, providers must provide a copy of their W-9, their Washington State Child Care License, and the details of the bank account where they want their payments to be deposited.
● Providers must add their banking information into the Provider Portal and are responsible for keeping the information up-to-date.
● Providers can request paper checks from Best Starts Subsidy.
● Providers can add and remove staff members to the Provider Portal to access (limited) subsidy information.
4. Enrollment and Attendance:
● The Program will pay the subsidy amount (as listed in the SPA) when a child is both enrolled in and attending the provider’s child care program at the levels listed in the SPA.
● The family and provider set the child’s schedule, and the family must follow the provider’s stated attendance policies.
● Authorized care for school-age children is defaulted to part-time care (0-24 hours per week). If a family needs more care hours for their child, they must request an increase and provide evidence of the need for additional care.
● See section 8c for more details.
● Providers must report monthly enrollment and attendance to the Best Starts Subsidy Program in order to receive payment.
● These are due no later than 30 days after the end of the month care was provided.
● See section 5a and 5b for more details.
● If a child is enrolled for fewer hours than authorized, Best Starts Subsidy may adjust the subsidy amount.
● For example, if the child is authorized for full-time care (25-50 hours per week), but is only enrolled for 15 hours per week (part-time care), then the Program will pay the rate for part-time care.
● Best Starts Subsidy will not pay for more hours than listed in the Subsidy Payment Authorization without prior written approval.
● In most circumstances, if a child does not attend care for sixty (60) days in a row and has not received prior written approval from the program, their subsidy will end and the provider will receive payment for two (2) weeks after the child last attended care.
5. Payment Process:
● For each month listed in the SPA, the Program will send the provider a Payment Request Form (PRF) via their Provider Portal. The PRFs will be available on or after the 17th of the month of care.
● The provider must complete and submit the PRF within 30 days of the end of the month of care to receive payment for that child for that month.
● 30 days after the end of the month of care:
● PRFs are considered late.
● Providers must receive approval from the Best Starts Subsidy Team to submit and receive payment.
● Payment requests must be submitted within 90 days after the end of the month of care.
● After 90 days, payment cannot be issued under any circumstances.
● If the child has unenrolled prior to the release of the PRF or has not attended in that month of service, please see section 7b below.
● The Program will make a payment to the provider via ACH transfer (direct deposit) within three (3) weeks of receiving a completed PRF, unless the provider has previously requested a paper check.
● The Program may make separate payments for each child each month.
● Providers can access and view their invoices and payments in the Provider Portal.
6. Other Payment Policies:
● If the Best Starts Subsidy payment does not cover the full cost of care, the provider may charge the family for the remaining amount.
● Best Starts Subsidy will not increase the payment amount to cover additional costs beyond child care tuition or to cover the full tuition cost if it exceeds the approved subsidy amount.
● If the subsidy payment is more than the provider’s child care tuition for that month, the provider must apply the extra funds to any unpaid fees or balances for that child for the same month (e.g., registration or program fees).
● Providers are not required to refund any subsidy payments that exceed their tuition. However, the family’s balance for that month must be at $0 before the provider can use the remaining funds for other purposes.
● If families do not pay their balance, providers should contact the Program. Family payment of the tuition balance is a requirement for family participation.
● A family may not participate in the Best Starts Subsidy if they owe a balance to a previous provider and do not have a payment plan in place which is in good standing.
● Sometimes, we will ask providers to share attendance records for children approved for extended care or for school-age children approved for full-time care. This helps make sure the amount of care a child is approved for matches the care they receive when higher subsidy rates are paid.
● There may be rare instances where an improper payment is made. In the following scenarios a note will be applied to the particular case and:
● If we underpay the provider: A corrected payment will be issued for the remaining balance.
● If we overpay the provider:
●If the child is continuing care, the overage will be subtracted from the next month’s subsidy.
● If the child is not continuing care, the provider will be asked to repay the difference.
● If we pay the wrong provider:
● If the provider has children with continuing care, the overage will be applied to the next month’s subsidy for a different child.
● If no children are continuing care with that provider, the provider will be asked to repay the improper payment.
● If the provider or family is no longer eligible for Best Starts Subsidy: the provider will be asked to repay any payments made after the end of eligibility.
7. Mid-Month Changes:
● A family may not participate in the Best Starts Subsidy if they owe a balance to a previous provider and do not have a payment plan in place which is in good standing.
● If a child un-enrolls from care mid-month, the provider is responsible for telling the Program the date the child left care. The Program will pay the provider for two (2) weeks after the last day attended.
● The two (2) week family notification period does not apply if there are any safety concerns expressed by the family. The provider may still be paid for the two (2) week period.
● This does not apply to temporary changes in care such as for school breaks. Families are still required to give two (2) weeks notice of these changes but providers are not paid for the two (2) week period following the end of a temporary change.
● In most circumstances, if a child does not attend care for 60 days in a row and has not received prior written approval from the program, their subsidy will end and the provider will receive payment for two (2) weeks after the child last attended care
● If a child begins in a provider’s care mid-month, subsidy payments may be adjusted (prorated) based on enrollment dates.
8. Adjustments:
● In some cases, the subsidy amount may be reduced.
● The Program reserves the right to not pay for scheduled closure days.
● For school-age children with part-time authorization, subsidy increases to full-time care during school breaks (Thanksgiving Break in November, Winter Break in December/January, Mid-winter Break in February, and Spring Break in March/April). This does not include summer break.
● If a child needs increased care during summer break, the family must request this change from Best Starts Subsidy.
9. Provider Responsibilities:
● Providers are responsible for keeping their banking information up to date in the Provider Portal and notifying Best Starts Subsidy if it changes.
● Providers must notify the Program if contact information changes.
● Providers must notify the Program if a child is authorized for or starts using another subsidy program.
● Providers must notify the Program if they become aware that a family has moved out of King County.
● Providers must notify the Program if their licensing status changes.
● Providers must notify the Program if there is a sale or transfer of business ownership.
Failure to provide significant information such as the family’s use of another subsidy, the family moving outside of King County, or a change in licensing status may result in the child care program to refund subsidy payments received.
We make this decision based on family income, family size, the child’s age, the amount of care requested in the application (part time vs. full time vs. extended) and the type of child care provider selected (School Age Program, Child Care Center, or Family Child Care)
For Families: If you think there was an error in the review, eligibility determination, or your subsidy amount calculation, you can submit a claim for review by us at support@BSKchildcare.org or (206) 208-6865
Best Starts Subsidy will pay the maximum subsidy rate authorized for the child, even if it exceeds the tuition charged by the Provider. Best Starts Subsidy bases its subsidy rates on a market survey conducted by the State of Washington every other year. Therefore, if a provider charges less than that, they are charging below the market rate established by the State.
Best Starts Subsidy may cover additional fees only if the monthly subsidy payment is higher than the provider’s tuition charge for that child. If there is extra subsidy money after covering tuition, the provider must apply it to unpaid fees or balances from that same month. Any extra funds must be used for that child within the same month of care. If the subsidy payment is equal to or less than tuition, this policy does not apply. The subsidy will not increase to cover additional fees or charges.
If the subsidy does not fully cover tuition, the provider can bill the family for the remaining balance. Families must pay any costs not covered by the subsidy unless they make other arrangements with the provider.
Providers are not required to refund extra subsidy funds to families. However, they must ensure the family’s balance is $0 before using extra funds for other purposes.
Best Starts Subsidy will help pay for the approved child’s care during the time between the Start Date and End Date on page 1 of the Subsidy Payment Authorization.
For Families: We will email you at least six weeks before the End Date to share instructions on how to reapply and continue receiving Best Starts Subsidy. The instructions will include a due date. Please be sure to complete the reauthorization application by the due date so that there is no interruption in child care or payment. When you reapply, you will need to provide new documents to show how your income, family size, and other details may have changed since the Authorization Period began.
Best Starts Subsidy will only pay subsidies to child care programs licensed by the Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF). Licensed-exempt programs and Family, Friend, and Neighbor caregivers are not eligible.
Best Starts for Kids Child Care Subsidy does not license, endorse, or recommend any particular provider. We cannot assure that a provider gives quality child care.
In an effort to meet the child care needs of families, we may refer families to licensed child care centers or homes; however, the ultimate choice of child care providers is the sole responsibility of the parent(s)/guardian(s).
Parent(s)/guardian(s) are urged to carefully interview and check references before leaving a child in care. To review DCYF licensing history of a child care provider including any complaints, you can complete a provider search at: https://www.findchildcarewa.org/
Best Starts Subsidy may not cover the full costs of child care. There may be a “parent/guardian portion” and/or additional fees that the family must pay directly to the child care provider.
Families are responsible for negotiating and paying all fees not covered by the Best Starts for Kids Subsidy. Due dates for fees are agreed upon between parent(s)/guardian(s) and their child care provider. If fees are not paid, the family’s subsidy might be ended.
For school-age children authorized for part-time care, we will automatically pre-approve full-time child care during school breaks, according to the Best Starts Subsidy school-age payment calendar. Families wishing for full-time summer care for school-age children must specifically request this adjustment by contacting us at support@BSKchildcare.org or (206) 208-6865.
For Providers: If you provide care to multiple children with a Best Starts Subsidy, your payments will typically include combined payments for all children enrolled in the Best Starts for Kids Subsidy Program.
Every month, providers will be required to submit a Payment Request Form through their provider portal that includes a short attendance and enrollment report for each child with a Best Starts for Kids Subsidy.
Best Starts for Kids Subsidy payments are issued through direct deposit, directly to the provider on behalf of the child named above.
Important Notes for Providers:
Families set their child’s schedule with the child care provider and must follow the attendance policy agreed upon with the provider when the child enrolls. In most cases, if a child is enrolled in a provider’s program when the provider submits the Payment Request Form, Best Starts Subsidy will pay the provider the authorized amount of subsidy for that child for that month.
Here are a few scenarios where the authorized rate might be reduced:
A family’s Best Starts for Kids Subsidy may be closed for any of the following reasons:
Best Starts Subsidy may stop sending payments after notifying the providers of the change, with an explanation. Reasons include but are not limited to:
There may be instances where the wrong provider is paid, the wrong amount is paid, or a provider is paid on behalf of a family or provider that no longer qualifies.
Please see below to understand scenarios when the provider might be responsible for repayment:
A note will be applied to the particular case and payment month, and a corrected payment will be issued.
A note will be applied to the particular case and payment month. If the child is continuing care, the overage will be subtracted from the next month’s subsidy. If the child is not continuing care, the child care provider will be asked to repay the difference.
A note will be applied to the particular case and payment month. If the provider has children with continuing care, the overage will be applied to the next month’s subsidy for a different child. If no children are continuing care with that provider, the child care provider will be asked to repay the improper payment.
A request for repayment will be issued to the child care provider.
Providers (and families) are required to notify us if the child is using or is authorized for any other subsidy programs, such as Working Connections Child Care (WCCC) or regional subsidies.
In most cases, families using WCCC are not eligible for a Best Starts Subsidy, and we will send a request for repayment to the provider.
A review board will evaluate the facts and circumstances of the situation and recommend the next steps. The review board will include at least one representative from King County, BrightSpark leadership and BrightSpark frontline staff.
You may or may not be required to tell us about changes in your circumstances if they happen during your Authorization Period. See the scenarios below to learn what you need to do.
REQUIRED: You must report any address change as soon as possible.
REQUIRED: You must report any change in the needed amount of care as soon as possible. Advance notice will help ensure there is no delay in payment to your provider.
REQUIRED: You must tell us about a provider change at least two weeks before the change so that we can set up payments correctly. Please see “How do I change providers?” below for more information.
REQUIRED: If you take your child out of a program permanently, you must let us know as soon as possible. You are also responsible for telling the provider.
REQUIRED: You must report any pause in care if it will last 30 days or more. Please let us know as soon as possible so that we can save your subsidy money for when your child returns to the program.
OPTIONAL: If you have a decrease in income, please let us know because we might be able to increase your subsidy amount. However, it is not required.
OPTIONAL: If you have a new family member to add, please let us know because we might be able to increase your subsidy amount. However, it is not required.
Please note that if you do tell us about a change in your family size or income, we will consider whether that change makes you eligible for Working Connections (WCCC). If you seem eligible for WCCC, we will ask you to apply to WCCC. Families and providers are required to notify us if WCCC subsidy is approved. In most cases, Best Starts for Kids Subsidy Program enrollment will end upon use of WCCC subsidy.
The family must report the change to us at least two (2) weeks before the change takes place. This helps us ensure a smooth transition of subsidy. The family is also responsible for letting their provider know.
For Families: Your provider might have their own rules about giving notice that your child is leaving the program. For example, they might require at least 30 days’ notice. You must follow their rules even if they are different from ours.
When we are given at least two weeks’ notice of a provider change, we will pay the old provider for the duration of the two week notice period (starting from the date notification was submitted to Best Starts for Kids Subsidy Team). If the family does not give two weeks’ notice, the family might be responsible for any fees incurred according to the provider’s policies.
When there is a provider change, all fees with the old provider must be paid in full, or a payment plan must be in place and in good standing before a subsidy transfer will be authorized. Outstanding balances with a provider may affect the family’s eligibility to switch to a new provider.
If the family is staying with the same provider but will be using a different site/location (short or long term), the family must report this change to the Best Starts for Kids Subsidy Team at least two (2) weeks in advance. These changes impact how payment is made. For example: changing from Childcare ABC at Tree location to Childcare ABC at Ocean location requires notifying us.
Residents of King County voted to approve a special tax that pays for the Best Starts for Kids Child Care Subsidy program. Working Connections is a separate program funded by the state of Washington. For more information about Best Starts for Kids, click here.
Terms and conditions are subject to change periodically.
Last updated: July 2026
Subscribe to our newsletter for updates, resources, and an opportunity to learn more about BrightSpark’s impact in the community!
By filling out this form, you agree to receive email communications from BrightSpark Early Learning Services.
