Childcare Workforce Payment Administrator

The deadline to apply for this funding opportunity is Wednesday, October 21, 2026 at 11:59pm PST. 

With the 2026 Childcare Workforce Payment Administrator Request for Proposal (RFP), DEEL is seeking proposals from qualified organizations to provide services that include conducting outreach, administering applications, verifying eligibility and managing the timely and accurate distribution of annual payments to approximately 5,000 childcare workers via their Seattle-based licensed childcare provider employers. This work supports the Childcare Workforce Payment Program designed to support Seattle’s childcare workforce. This investment is part of the City’s Every Child Ready - Families, Education, Preschool, and Promise (FEPP) Levy.  

The Childcare Workforce Payment Administrator investment is part of the FEPP 2025 effort to support Seattle children via a stable childcare workforce. Children thrive in environments with stable caregivers, but the low compensation for childcare workers results in high turnover. This investment seeks to promote workforce retention via predictable annual bonuses. 

A total of $477,000 in funding is available for the contract period over three years, from February 2027 to December 2029. The target budget for the first year of contract implementation is $150,000, subject to contract negotiation and budget proposals received from applicants. 

Please note: DEEL reserves the right to modify, delay, or cancel awards based on Council action or changes to available funding. DEEL will not provide individual notice of changes, and applicants are responsible for regularly checking this webpage for updates, clarifications, or amendments. 

Who can apply: 

The 2026 Childcare Workforce Payment Administrator RFP welcomes proposals from 

• Individual applicants: any type of organization, to provide full service delivery  

• Joint applicants: organizations that partner to submit a joint application with demonstrated history of successful collaboration in the past, indicating the capacity to jointly deliver the full scope of work 

Current DEEL providers and new applicants may apply. Eligible applicants must meet the following minimum qualifications:   

• The ability to successfully conduct outreach and recruitment to reach eligible childcare providers 

• The capacity to implement payment management to the employers of 5,000 childcare workers 

• Systems to support data collection and reporting on the demographics, locations, and workforce retention of the supported workers 

• The ability to provide customer service to the childcare providers, including basic tax guidance 

• Compliance with privacy, insurance, and regulatory requirements.  

The service target for this contract is 5,000 Seattle childcare workers receiving a one time payment per year of the contract period. Additional quality indicators for contract deliverables include the % of licensed Seattle childcare providers participating in the Childcare Workforce Payments Program, and the time from provider application submission to payment processing.  

To learn more about eligibility and application requirements, please download and read the RFP Overview.  

Timeline*: 

DEEL will accept responses from applicants until Wednesday, October 21, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. PST.  

*Dates subject to change. Prospective applicants are responsible for checking this web page for changes.   

How to apply: 

Please submit your application via the Submittable platform. All applicants will need to sign up for a Submittable account here: Seattle DEEL Submission Manager (submittable.com).  
 
Proposals must respond to the prompts and questions listed in the RFP Overview.   

Reference Links 

Use the following links to access information you will need to reply to this RFP.  

Application Essentials  

Supporting Materials:  

All materials and updates to the RFP are available on DEEL’s Funding Opportunities webpage.

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 the webpage for any updates, clarifications, or amendments. DEEL will not provide individual notice of changes, and applicants are responsible for regularly checking the webpage for any updates, clarifications, or amendments.

How to submit questions: 

For Questions related to the Childcare Workforce Payment Administrator RFP:    

• Submit questions about this RFP via email to DEELfunding@seattle.gov and include “Question: Childcare Workforce Payment Administrator RFP” in the subject line. Responses will be published and linked in the table above. Please allow three (3) business days for answers to submitted questions.  

For Technical Questions related to using Submittable:    

• Check the Submitter Resource Center   

• Send questions to Submittable Customer Support and by email to DEELfunding@seattle.gov with the Subject line: "Submittable Question: Youth Mental Health Therapeutic Services RFP". 

Language Assistance: 

Do you need an interpreter? Do you need documents translated? Language assistance is available. Contact DEELfunding@seattle.gov or (206) 386-1050.