This blog was originally posted on Cultivating Connections.

Employees who are essential workers under the statewide “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order can now access free emergency child care through a King County program to help parents who are working on the front lines of the COVID-19 response.

First responders and essential workers are defined by the Governor’s March 23 Proclamation and include front-line essential medical professionals and support staff, first responders, corrections officers, transit workers, and others.

If you are an essential worker who lives or works in King County outside the City of Seattle and you are interested in accessing the free emergency child care slots, please call the Child Care Aware of Washington Family Center at 1-800-446-1114 and complete an intake with Family Center staff. After intake, a resources specialist will work to match you with an eligible child care provider that meets your family needs. The County and its partners are working quickly, and hope to have child care available by mid-April.

and you are interested in accessing the free emergency child care slots, please call the Child Care Aware of Washington Family Center at 1-800-446-1114 and complete an intake with Family Center staff. After intake, a resources specialist will work to match you with an eligible child care provider that meets your family needs. The County and its partners are working quickly, and hope to have child care available by mid-April. For those essential workers who work or live in Seattle, the City of Seattle is rolling out an Emergency Child Care program to support first responders and essential workers. If you are an essential worker living or working in the City of Seattle, please visit this website to fill out an interest form.

As a reminder, employees who are telecommuting are permitted to take care of their children in the home.

Please note, verification of employment and/or home address will be required to complete intake. To expedite the intake process, please send the required verification documents to subsidy@childcare.org.

Employer Verification: Must include the name of the employee and the employer, and the physical address of the workplace. A picture of one of the following items will suffice:

Work ID badge;

An email from a work address with name and contact information in the signature line;

A business card;

Paystub;

Work schedule w/employer visible.

Address Verification: Only required if you work in the City of Seattle or outside of King County, to prove residency in King County.

Documentation must be no more than 3 months old, include the name of the employee, and cannot be envelopes or personal correspondence. If you are experiencing homelessness or otherwise unable to verify your home address, please let us know and we will provide alternative means of verification.

Submit one item from this list:

Utility Bill (Gas, Water/Garbage, Light/Electrical, Cable, Landline phone)

Home/Renter’s Insurance

Mortgage Document

or

Two items from this list from different sources:

Insurance document (health, car, etc.)

Benefits document (DSHS, SSI, paystub, etc.)

Financial document (Bank Statement, retirement, credit card statement)

Other bills

Driver’s License

Lease or Housing Agency letter

The program was created at the direction of King County Executive Dow Constantine and approved by the King County Council. For more details, please call the Child Care Aware of Washington Family Center at 1-800-446-1114.