2026 Seattle Childcare Workforce Payments
The Seattle Department of Education & Early Learning (DEEL) and BrightSpark Early Learning Services are partnering to distribute up to $2.5 million in Seattle Childcare Workforce Payments funded by the Families, Education, Preschool, and Promise (FEPP) levy. This funding is awarded to childcare providers to supplement wages for childcare workers to support staff retention for our critical, yet underpaid, childcare workforce.
Please note: Changes to the funding process and timeline may occur. DEEL will not provide individual notice of changes, and applicants are responsible for regularly checking this webpage for technical assistance information, updates, clarifications, or amendments.
Who can apply and for how much
Eligibility for the 2026 Seattle Childcare Workforce Payments is as follows:
- Family Child Care (FCC) and center-based programs located within the City of Seattle boundaries and licensed by the Washington Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) are eligible to apply.
- The employer must submit the application. In the case of FCC providers, the licensee must apply.
- The staff person has been an employee at the program and a valid STARS ID since at least September 7, 2026 and at the time the application is submitted continues to be employed by the eligible childcare program.
- Payments will be awarded through a non-competitive process. All applications received during the application period will be considered for eligibility and equal funding.
- Businesses receiving funds will be responsible for distributing payments to eligible staff via the program’s payroll system.
- License exempt and Family, Friend, and Neighbor (FFN) caregivers are not eligible for this initiative.
- Programs located in unincorporated King County or cities other than Seattle are not eligible for this initiative. Unsure? Click here to verify.
Event |
Date and Time |
| Applications Open | September 7, 2026 |
| Information Sessions Hosted virtually on Zoom |
English Information Session Somali Information Session Spanish Information Session |
| Application Deadline | Wednesday, September 30, 2026 by 11:59 p.m. PST |
Timeline*
To be considered for funding, employers must submit the application by 11:59 pm PST on Wednesday, September 30, 2026. Applicants can expect to receive notification of award status approximately one month after submitting their application.
*Dates subject to change
How to Apply
Starting September 7, 2026, you can click the link below to access the application survey. Be sure to read the frequently asked questions document containing program and personnel eligibility details before beginning the application.
Language |
Application |
FAQ |
| English | Application | Frequently Asked Questions |
| Somali | Application | Frequently Asked Questions |
| Amharic | Application | Frequently Asked Questions |
| Chinese | Application | Frequently Asked Questions |
| Spanish | Application | Frequently Asked Questions |
| Vietnamese | Application | Frequently Asked Questions |
Additional Assistance
For additional assistance, contact your Early Achievers coach, or BrightSpark’s Provider Line at 1 (800) 446-1114 option 2, or the grants team at grants@brightspark.org.
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