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.
2025 Refinement Update
In August 2024, DCYF met with the Early Learning Provider Supports Subcommittee to gather feedback on both the ECEAP Complex Needs Fund and the Child Care Complex Needs Fund. DCYF gathered feedback with the intent to improve the funding process and support providers to be successful in accessing Complex Needs Funds to better serve the children in their care. As a result of this feedback and other suggestions received from Complex Needs Fund Awardees, DCYF will implement refinements for the 2025 Child Care Complex Needs Fund.
What is Changing?
DCYF is committed to provider success in implementing projects funded with Complex Needs Funds. The following updates to the grant were made in response to the feedback.
- Pre-Award Technical Assistance
- Updated Maximum Amount
- Update Spend Categories
- Licensed ECEAP Provider Eligibility
For more information on the refinement updates and the feedback that inspired them, please see our 2025 Complex Needs Fund Refinement Overview.
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 Child Care Complex Needs Fund application is now open. It will close at 5 p.m. PST on Wednesday, March 19, 2025.
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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 Type | Minimum Amount | Maximum 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 |
For information on why the maximum amount changed, please review the 2025 Complex Needs Fund Refinement Overview.
Once the application period has ended, grants will be scored and prioritized using the 2025 Child Care Complex Needs Fund scoring guide.
Based on data from the first round of applications, DCYF may adjust award levels and prioritization for future application periods.
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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.
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
Birth to 3 and PreK 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.
What is different about the application this year?
- Application is now part of the SmartSheet Request for Applications (RFA).
- Funding is no longer competitive and will be awarded based on several factors including total funding available, number of applications DCYF receives, number of ECEAP slots served, and other relevant considerations.
- Applicants will no longer request a specific dollar amount in their application.
- Applicants will no longer submit a project outline or detailed budget tables in their application.
- Complex Needs Funds will be in the contract as a separate line item that can be drawn from on a reimbursement basis. Awardees will submit monthly activity reports and invoices to DCYF and will include CNF expenses for reimbursement.
Who is eligible?
- Applicants must be current B-3 ECEAP and/or ECEAP contractors.
How to apply?
- The RFA includes a section on requesting Complex Needs Funds.
- Answer the application questions in the RFA, and select the spending areas in which you expect to use the funds.
Questions?
Email dcyf.eceap@dcyf.wa.gov with any questions about the ECEAP Complex Needs Fund.
A complete ECEAP Complex Needs Fund manual, which includes information on deliverables, monthly reporting, and detailed terms and conditions will be made available before the 2025-26 Contract begins.