School Aged Care

School-age childcare for 5 year old to 12 years old, is the only care that is not required to be Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS)-licensed IF other state jurisdictions exist, such as:

• It is specifically authorized and directly sponsored by the Seattle School District or the Seattle Parks Department, both of which are under the jurisdiction of the Seattle Human Services Department. The Seattle School District maintains an official listing of authorized school childcare programs. See the Childcare Office for Students for a copy of this listing. Cities closely surrounding Seattle are acceptable as well, if they also fall under the jurisdiction of the Washington State Human Services Department.
• It is an accredited YMCA/YWCA school affiliated program and/or summer camp. Not all YMCA/YWCA's are school affiliated or DSHS licensed.
• It is a private school's before or after school program that can be authorized on an individual basis only, based on the school's written standards and controls which include full and clear accountability for all childcare staff and the safety/welfare of children under its care. Because childcare centers affiliated with private schools are often not regulated by an outside agency, these childcare arrangements will only be authorized by the Childcare Voucher Program for Students, if the written standards and actual arrangements are exceptionally high and thorough. The University does not fund private school tuition for kindergarten or older grade school children under any circumstances. If the private school's childcare programs are DSHS or HSD licensed and in good standing, they are automatically authorized by the University of Washington Childcare Program.
• It is a summer day camp of the Seattle Parks Department or the Parks Departments of surrounding cities, providing they are accountable to the Human Services Department (HSD). Extra fees for overnight or other field trips will not be subsidized.
• It is not exclusively sponsoroed by the PTA, which is not under the jurisdiction of required state standards. Independent PTA programs are NOT allowed; but PTA or extended day kindergarten programs clearly accountable to the public school (in writing) and the HSD standards that govern it are allowed.

For more information, access the Seattle MOST Database of Youth Activities and School-age Child Care.