“How are we going to afford child care?” It’s a question many working Seattle parents agonize over. And for good reason: One year of care for two kids can cost as much as a college education. A year without it can result in financial instability and disparate academic and health outcomes for kids.
No surprise, then, that the question of how to create universally affordable child care systems at the city, state, and federal levels is a critical issue for families in our community. And the momentum to finding solutions is building. New Mexico made headlines when it proved that it can be done, launching its “no-cost” child care system last November. New York City’s Mayor Zohran Mamdani has promised to bring such a system to America’s largest city. And in Seattle, both former Mayor Bruce Harrell and Mayor Katie Wilson — who made no bones about relying on her mother during her campaign due to the high costs of child care — put affordable, accessible child care on their high-priority lists.
A price with consequences
The cost of licensed child care for an infant in and around Seattle “can easily reach $30,000 a year” in our region, according to Seattle’s 2023 report, “Understanding the true cost of child care in the City of Seattle and King County. For families with both an infant and a toddler, the combined average care cost may climb to upwards of $50,000 annually.
Those price tages have consequences. When child care consumes a large chunk of income, parents—especially women—tend to scale back work hours, or leave the workforce altogether, exacerbating the gap between higher-income and lower-income families and communities. Not to mention, they lead to a disparity in access to quality child care and preschools and that typically leads to disparity in outcomes for children.
Quality child care and early childhood education programs for children from birth to age 4 are associated with better kindergarten readiness, better overall educational outcomes, higher rates of high school graduation and college attendance, and higher employment rates. Access to such programs can even improve health, including lower obesity rates and improved mental health outcomes.
Availability vs need
The U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey defines “need” for child care as “children with all available parents in the labor force.” By that definition, the need in Seattle and surrounding King County is great.
According to data from the Census Bureau, City of Seattle and the U.S. Department of Labor Statistics.
- In Seattle there are about 70,000 kids aged 0-12, the typical age range for child care. About 36,000 children are aged 0-5.
- The City estimates about 26,400 (73%) of children ages 0-5 have all parents in the workforce or in school. And according to the U.S. Census data, about 90% of kids age 12 and under live in a home where at least one parent works; 65–67% live in homes where both parents work; live in homes where only one parent works (which includes single‑parents)
- There are 27,000 licensed child care seats in Seattle for ages 0-12.
- King County is home to approximately 321,410 children age 12 and under.
- There are approximately 120,412 children under age 5 and under in King County.
- As of December, King County had only 88,900 licensed child care seats, according to Child Care Aware of Washington.
While not all of those children require child care, a high percentage meet the Census Bureau’s definition of “need” with a single or both parents working. And while the number of slots has dramatically increased in the county and city over the last six years, thanks to state and local subsidies and provider support initiatives, an enormous gap remains.
Help covering costs
Several city-, county- and state-funded programs provide some financial assistance for licensed child care and early childhood education:
- Seattle’s Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) helps parents cover the cost of licensed child care for children from 1 month to age 12. New income guidelines mean 2,000 additional families became eligible this year to receive assistance. Enrollment is always open; check eligibility at seattle.gov/ccap.
- Seattle Preschool Program (SPP) is the City’s preschool. Tuition is on a sliding scale — many families pay very little. SPP enrollment for 2025-26 school year is still open on a rolling basis for 3- and 4-year-olds. To apply for the 2026-27 school year in March, visit seattle.gov/preschool.
- King County’s Best Starts for Kids Initiative offers a child care subsidy and is actively enrolling new children. Families who earn below 85% of the state’s median income (about $118,000 annually for a family of four) are eligible to apply: bskchildcare.org.
- The Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) is a state-funded program that offers preschool and related support services to eligible 3- and 4-year-olds. Eligibility is fairly strict — family income must be at or below 36% of the state median. Check out options at seattle.gov/eceap.
- Washington state’s Working Connections Child Care program (WCCC) helps eligible parents pay for child care so they can work, attend school or job training, or otherwise participate in approved “work-related activities.”
How close are we?
The bottom line? The City of Seattle and King County are working hard to make quality care accessible to more families in Seattle and King County. However, if universal child care is defined as licensed, quality that is affordable at any family income level, we still have a ways to go.
Read more from our coverage of what it will take to advance universal child care in Seattle:
Universal Child Care: What can Seattle learn from New Mexico? New Mexico’s new universal, no-fee child care system has insights
The cost of child care: One block, five families, $200,000+ a year Child care for two kids can cost as much as four years of college tuition
Immigrant providers are critical to achieving universal child care Equity in child care access depends on it
What’s the DEEL? Seattle’s work toward universal child care: DEEL Director Dwane Chappelle discusses where we are and what it will take
Child care by the numbers—and where to turn for help: Seattle is a ways away from universal child care, but assistss thousands with care
In Seattle, few employers significantly subsidize child care: Outlier YMCA considers child care ‘not a perk, but a foundation for equity and opportunity
‘We need long-term funding not short-term fixes’: City and state leaders say they’ll keep working to address the state’s child care crisis
