Parent guides
How to choose — grounded in licensing rules and data on all 341 licensed Seattle programs
Short, source-cited answers to the questions every Seattle daycare search runs into. Where a number appears, it's computed from the state's licensing data (refreshed 2026-09-25) or quoted from a named source — never estimated.
- How much does daycare cost in Seattle?County medians by age, what providers actually publish, and why infant care costs the most.
- 10 questions to ask on a daycare tourThe expert checklist, with what a good answer sounds like. Prints cleanly.
- Seattle waitlists: when to apply and how they workWhen to join, how many lists, deposits, and the infant-care math.
- Staff-to-child ratios in WashingtonThe licensed maximums by age (WAC 110-300-0356), and how to count heads on a tour.
- Early Achievers ratings, explainedWhat levels 1–5 mean, Seattle's numbers, and why "not yet rated" isn't a red flag.
- Check a license and inspection historyFive minutes with Child Care Check before you tour.
- Help paying for careWorking Connections, Seattle CCAP and SPP, ECEAP, and the new $7,500 Dependent Care FSA.