Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
DCYF details audits and oversight of Working Connections childcare; agency says fraud referrals are rare
Summary
DCYF officials told the Senate Early Learning & K‑12 Education Committee that Washington audits roughly 23% of providers and families in its childcare subsidy program, that a centralized 12‑person audit team conducts provider and eligibility reviews, and that referrals to the Office of Fraud and Accountability remain a small fraction of cases.
Nicole Rose, Assistant Secretary of Early Learning with the Department of Children, Youth and Families, told the Senate Early Learning & K‑12 Education Committee that Washington’s Working Connections Childcare is a family benefit that pays licensed providers directly after verifying a family’s eligibility.
"In calendar year 2025, we had over 63,000 families that were determined to be eligible for Working Connections childcare," Rose said, and she added that the state has "over 6,600 licensed childcare providers." She described a three‑part flow: family eligibility verification, provider authorization, and service payment after care is provided.
Ruben Reeves, Assistant…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
