The 2025-26 Child Care Complex Needs Fund is Now Open and will close at 5 p.m. PST on Jan. 20, 2026

Child Care Complex Needs Fund

The Fair Start for Kids Act, passed by the Washington State Legislature in 2021, directs DCYF to create a Child Care Complex Needs Fund for child care. 

The fund is intended to promote inclusive, least-restrictive environments, and support providers serving children with developmental delays, disabilities, behavioral needs, and/or other unique needs.

Who is eligible to apply?

The Child Care Complex Needs Fund is awarded through a competitive-grant process. Submitting an application does not guarantee that an eligible provider will receive an award. Eligible applicants may only receive Complex Needs Funds once each state fiscal year.

Eligible providers include:

  • Open licensed, certified, or certified-for-payment-only child care providers.
  • License-exempt Family, Friend, and Neighbor (FFN) providers who have served at least one child on subsidy in four of the past six months, or two of the past three months and claim for subsidy through the Social Service Payment System (SSPS) at time of application.

To be eligible, providers must have children currently enrolled in their care who have behavioral needs, developmental delays, disabilities, or other unique needs.

When Can I Apply?

The 2025-26 Child Care Complex Needs Fund is now open. It will close at 5 p.m. PST on Jan. 20, 2026.

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Technical and Language Assistance

If you need technical assistance, including assistance in your language, guidance on preparing for and accessing the application, or have questions on spending and saving receipts, please contact the Imagine Institute.

Imagine Institute
Phone: 206-492-5249
Email: TA@imaginewa.org

How much can a provider apply for?

Provider TypeMinimum AmountMaximum Amount
Open licensed, certified, or certified-for-payment-only child care providers$5,000$50,000
Family, Friend, and Neighbor (FFN) providers$100$2,000

Once the application period has ended, grants will be prioritized and/or scored using the 2025-26 Child Care Complex Needs Fund scoring guide.

DCYF may adjust award levels and prioritization for future application periods.

Funds may be used forMaximum RequestFunds may NOT be used for
  • Adding new staff to support children with complex needs
  • Increasing current staff hours to support children with complex needs
  • Up to a $5,000 hiring bonus for new staff members that support children with complex needs
  • $30,000

Funds may NOT be used for:

  • Salary for current staff
  • Owner's salary
  • Accounting/payroll costs
  • Travel costs
  • Training costs
  • Facility improvements to comply with ADA accessibility requirements
  • $50,000

Funds may NOT be used for:

  • Capital expenses such as major construction or renovation projects
  • Support to sites other than the licensed or certified site to which the funds were granted
  • Building a new fence
  • Therapeutic Services
  • $25,000

Funds may NOT be used for:

  • Services that are not offered by skilled professionals that are focused on curative, rehabilitative, preventative, or healing practices.
  • Supportive and adaptive materials and equipment
  • $25,000

Funds may NOT be used for:

  • Curriculum for teacher training or professional development
  • Vehicles
  • General supplies such as copy paper, toner, etc.

How does a provider apply?

All providers are required to have a WA Compass Provider Portal account before they can complete the Child Care Complex Needs Fund application.

Providers will log into the WA Compass Provider Portal, navigate to the Grant Information tab, select Current Grants, and select the DCYF Complex Needs Fund application. The provider will answer a series of questions and then submit the application.

Resources on this page

DCYF has resources available on this page, including an application preview guide. They are available in the Resources box, which may be on the right-hand side of this page, or at the bottom, depending on how you are accessing the page.

Please note: There are resources on this page that are for previous rounds of the grant. Guidelines and information change between rounds. Please make sure you access the 2025-2026 version of any documents, if you are looking for information about the most recent round of the grant.

Other Questions

If you have questions about the application, the timeline of the grant, or other topics specific to the grant, email: dcyf.childcaregrants@dcyf.wa.gov.

ECEAP Complex Needs Fund

Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) contractors may apply for additional funds to support children with complex needs. The ECEAP Complex Needs Fund (ECEAP CNF) is intended to promote inclusive, least restrictive environments, and support contractors serving children with developmental delays, disabilities, behavioral needs, or other unique needs.

ECEAP CNF funds may be used to help pay for adding classroom staff to provide targeted supports for children with complex needs, increasing mental health/behavioral consultation, purchasing supportive and adaptive materials and equipment, adapting curricula, providing teacher coaching, training and professional development, and offering unique transportation services that directly support children with complex needs.

Questions?

For more information about the ECEAP Complex Needs Fund, view the ECEAP Complex Needs Fund webpage.