{"data":{"id":"us-wa/rcw-43.216.828","jurisdiction":"us-wa","citation":"RCW 43.216.828","heading":"Child care subsidy rates—Use of cost model.","body":"(1) It is the intent of the legislature to systemically increase child care subsidy rates over time until rates are equal to the full cost of providing high quality child care.\n(2)(a) In the 2025-2027 fiscal biennium, beginning July 1, 2026, child care subsidy base rates must achieve the 85th percentile of market, as established by the most recent market rate survey published before May 20, 2025, for licensed or certified child care providers.\n(b) Beginning July 1, 2027, child care subsidy base rates must achieve the 75th percentile of market for licensed or certified child care providers. The state and the exclusive representative for family child care providers must enter into bargaining over the implementation of the subsidy rate increase under this subsection.\n(c) Beginning with the market rate survey published by June 1, 2028, in accordance with RCW 43.216.829, in order for the results from the survey for a child care subsidy rate region to be considered valid for the purpose of informing subsidy base rate increases under (b) of this subsection, the region must achieve a provider response rate of at least 40 percent and also be greater than the response rate for that region in the survey in the prior even-numbered year. When the response rate in a region achieves 65 percent or greater, a minimum of 65 percent must be maintained in subsequent surveys to be considered valid.\n(3)(a) The department shall use the completed child care cost methodology published in accordance with RCW 43.216.829 to recommend subsidy rates at levels that are sufficient to compensate licensed or certified child care providers for the full costs of providing high quality child care.\n(b) The department shall build upon the work of the child care collaborative task force to evaluate options to support access to affordable health care insurance coverage for licensed or certified child care providers.\n(4) This section does not interfere with, impede, or in any way diminish the right of family child care providers to bargain collectively with the state through the exclusive bargaining representatives as provided for under RCW 41.56.153.","path":["Title 43","Chapter 43.216"],"source_url":"https://app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=43.216.828","current_through":"July 15, 2026","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-09-06T02:58:11Z","sha256":"f6f7ddd19faa0cb93a40ed1dd3319cd3f6c68f87c2c8c0aee66fefc872c9b47b","source_id":"us-wa","stale":false,"prev":"us-wa/rcw-43.216.8275","next":"us-wa/rcw-43.216.8283"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}