Funding available for organizations to administer City of Seattle workforce payments to local childcare providers
Three-year FEPP levy investment supports Seattle children and families’ access to a stable, qualified childcare workforce
The City of Seattle Department of Education and Early Learning (DEEL) opens applications for the 2026 Childcare Workforce Payment Administrator Request for Proposal (RFP). With this $477,000 multiyear investment, DEEL is seeking proposals from qualified organizations to administer the Childcare Workforce Payment Program. Essential services under this contract include conducting outreach, administering applications, verifying eligibility and managing the timely and accurate distribution of annual payments to approximately 5,000 childcare workers via their Seattle-based licensed childcare provider employers. This workforce investment is part of the City’s Every Child Ready – Families, Education, Preschool, and Promise (FEPP) Levy, approved by Seattle voters in November 2025.
The Childcare Workforce Payment Administrator RFP is designed to support Seattle children and families by promoting stability in childcare workforce. Learning environments with stable caregivers allow children to thrive, yet low compensation for childcare workers contributes to high turnover in the profession. This investment seeks to promote workforce retention via predictable annual bonuses, with positive impact for childcare employees and the children in their care.
Applications are open now through October 21, 2026. More information about applicant eligibility and proposal requirements can be found on the DEEL website at http://www.seattle.gov/education/for-providers/funding-opportunities/childcare-workforce-payment-administrator. Applicants can also find details to attend a virtual information session on Thursday, October 1.
The contract period for this investment extends from February 2027 to December 2029. The target budget for the first year of contract implementation is $150,000, subject to contract negotiation and budget proposals received from applicants.
Eligibility
The 2026 Childcare Workforce Payment Administrator RFP welcomes proposals from
- Individual applicants: from any type of single organization, to provide full service delivery
- Joint applicants: organizations that partner to submit a joint application with demonstrated history of successful collaboration in the past, indicating the capacity to jointly deliver the full scope of work
Current DEEL providers and new applicants may apply. Eligible applicants must meet the following minimum qualifications:
- The ability to successfully conduct outreach and recruitment to reach eligible childcare providers
- The capacity to implement payment management to the employers of 5,000 childcare workers
- Systems to support data collection and reporting on the demographics, locations, and workforce retention of the supported workers
- The ability to provide customer service to the childcare providers, including basic tax guidance
- Compliance with privacy, insurance, and regulatory requirements.
The service target for this contract is 5,000 Seattle childcare workers receiving a one-time payment per year of the contract period. Additional quality indicators for contract deliverables include the % of licensed Seattle childcare providers participating in the Childcare Workforce Payments Program, as well as the period from provider application submission to payment processing.
Applications must be submitted via the Submittable platform. To learn more and apply, please visit http://www.seattle.gov/education/for-providers/funding-opportunities/childcare-workforce-payment-administrator.
Language Assistance:
Do you need an interpreter? Do you need documents translated? Language assistance is available. Contact DEELfunding@seattle.gov or (206) 386-1050.
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