DCYF-Approved Electronic Attendance Systems: A Washington Provider Guide (2026)
If your program accepts child care subsidy in Washington State, you are required to track attendance electronically. Here is what the rule actually says, what your options are, and the one step most providers miss.
The Short Version
Washington providers who receive Working Connections Child Care (WCCC) or Seasonal Child Care subsidy payments must record attendance using an electronic attendance system. You can use the system DCYF provides free of charge, or you can use a different system that appears on the DCYF-approved list, at your own cost.
That is the entire requirement in two sentences. The confusion comes from everything around it, so let us work through it properly.
The electronic attendance requirement lives in WAC 110-15-0126, with related provider responsibilities in WAC 110-15-0034. The rules took effect July 1, 2018. This article explains them in plain language, but the WACs themselves are the authority, and rules change. Verify current requirements with DCYF before making decisions.
Who This Applies To
The requirement follows the subsidy money, not your license type. It applies to:
- Licensed child care centers
- Licensed family home child care providers
- Family, Friend, and Neighbor (FFN) providers
If any of the children in your care are paid for through WCCC or Seasonal Child Care, you are subject to the rule for that care. If your program is entirely private pay, the electronic attendance requirement does not apply to you, though many providers still move off paper sign-in sheets for their own reasons. Our guide to digital sign-in for daycares covers that side of it.
MERIT Is Not the Attendance System
This one comes up constantly, so it is worth clearing up directly.
MERIT is Washington's registry for early learning professionals. It tracks staff training, education, credentials, and qualifications. It has nothing to do with signing children in and out, and attendance software does not get "added to MERIT."
If someone tells you your software has to be "MERIT approved," what they almost certainly mean is the electronic attendance system requirement described here. Same underlying obligation, different system, different paperwork. Knowing the difference saves you a lot of time when you call DCYF or talk to a licensor.
Option 1: The Free State System
DCYF purchased an electronic attendance system that is free for providers to use. It is made up of three connected pieces:
- KinderConnect — the web application where you record, correct, and submit attendance
- KinderSign — a tablet app that replaces paper sign-in sheets
- KinderSmart — a phone app parents and designees can use to sign children in and out
Training is free and available online, in person, or at your own pace, in multiple languages. For many providers, especially FFN and small family homes, the free state system is the sensible answer and there is no reason to pay for anything else.
Option 2: A DCYF-Approved Third-Party System
The alternative is to use a commercial child care platform that DCYF has reviewed and added to its approved list. Providers choose this route when they want attendance to live inside the same software they already use for billing, parent messaging, daily reports, and classroom management, rather than running a separate system just for subsidy attendance.
Two things to be clear about. First, this is at your own cost. Second, DCYF states plainly that approval does not constitute or imply endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the department, and that you assume the risks of doing business with a third-party vendor. Approval means the system met a technical checklist. It is not a review of the company.
What DCYF Requires an Approved System to Do
Vendors apply using the Electronic Attendance System Vendor Approved System Checklist (DCYF form 06-010), attesting to eight capabilities drawn from WAC 110-15-0126. Those eight are worth knowing, because they are a genuinely good checklist for evaluating any attendance system, approved or not:
- A commercially developed system that securely manages and tracks attendance
- Electronic authentication for parents or designees at check in and out, such as a PIN, electronic signature, or photo
- Identifies the child care facility by its SSPS (Social Services Payment System) number
- Records who signed the child in and out, when, and how they did it
- Allows reporting, formatting, and exporting attendance data electronically over a range of dates
- Treats each individual sign in and out as a transaction
- Can export audit data
- Allows searching and retrieval of records throughout the required retention period
Notice how much of that is about proving what happened after the fact. Requirements 3 through 8 exist because attendance records are the evidence behind subsidy payments. That is not a hypothetical concern, which brings us to the part providers underestimate.
Why the Audit Trail Matters More Than the Check-In Screen
Under WAC 110-15-0034, attendance records delivered to DCYF may be used to determine whether a provider overpayment has been made, and may result in an established overpayment and an immediate suspension of subsidy payment.
Every provider evaluating attendance software focuses on the check-in experience, because that is the part families see every morning. Fair enough. But the part that protects your program is what the system can produce months later when someone asks for it.
When you evaluate a system, ask it to produce a full month of attendance from last year, showing each child, each individual check in and out, who signed, the time, and the method used. If that takes more than a couple of minutes, or if the system only holds recent data, that is a real risk regardless of how nice the kiosk looks. We go deeper on this in our daycare attendance tracking best practices guide.
The Step Most Providers Miss
Here is the one that trips people up. If you choose an approved third-party system, you have to tell DCYF you are using it. The vendor being on the approved list is not enough on its own.
Email electronic.attendance@dcyf.wa.gov with:
- Your name
- Your SSPS number
- The name of the attendance system you are using
Timing matters if you are new to serving subsidy families. Providers new to WCCC or Seasonal Child Care generally have 90 days from initial authorization to complete training and log a check in or out transaction, or to report the use of an approved third-party system. Miss that window and subsidy authorizations can close. If you are genuinely stuck, DCYF has an exception to rule process, though an exception is temporary and a denial cannot be appealed, so it is a fallback rather than a plan.
Free State System vs. Third-Party Platform
Neither option is universally better. It depends on whether attendance is the only thing you need software for.
| Consideration | DCYF System (KinderConnect) | Approved Third-Party Platform |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free | Paid, varies by vendor |
| Subsidy attendance | ||
| Private-pay families in same system | ||
| Tuition billing and invoicing | Usually included | |
| Parent messaging and daily reports | Usually included | |
| Training provided by the state | Vendor-provided | |
| Extra step to report your system | Not needed | Required (email DCYF) |
The honest summary: if subsidy attendance is the only thing you need software for, the free state system does that job and costs nothing. If you are already paying for a childcare platform, or want to stop running attendance separately from billing and family communication, an approved third-party system consolidates it.
How to Verify a System Is Actually Approved
Do not take a vendor's word for it, including ours. DCYF publishes the list of approved electronic attendance systems on its website and updates it regularly. Check the current list directly before you commit, and if a system is not on it, ask the vendor whether they have submitted form 06-010 and where that application stands.
It is also worth asking a vendor how attendance records get to DCYF in practice, and what you are still responsible for submitting yourself. Confirm the workflow with DCYF for your own situation rather than assuming approval means everything is automatic.
CheckInKids is a DCYF-approved electronic attendance system. It records each check in and out as an individual transaction with PIN entry and captured signatures, shows your SSPS number on attendance reports, and exports attendance to CSV or PDF over any date range. As DCYF notes, approval is not an endorsement, and you should compare options on their merits.
A Practical Checklist
- Confirm whether you actually receive WCCC or Seasonal Child Care payments. If not, this rule does not apply to you.
- Decide between the free DCYF system and an approved third-party platform based on what else you need software to do.
- If choosing third-party, verify the system on DCYF's current approved list.
- Email your name, SSPS number, and system name to electronic.attendance@dcyf.wa.gov.
- If you are newly authorized, handle this within your 90-day window.
- Test producing a historical attendance report before you need one for an audit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who has to use an electronic attendance system in Washington?
Providers who receive Working Connections Child Care or Seasonal Child Care subsidy payments, including licensed centers, licensed family home providers, and FFN providers. Entirely private-pay programs are not subject to the rule.
Do I have to use KinderConnect?
No. DCYF provides KinderConnect free of charge, but you may use any system on the DCYF-approved list instead, at your own cost. Providers are under no obligation to use a third-party system.
What is the difference between MERIT and the electronic attendance system?
MERIT is the registry for early learning professionals and tracks staff training and qualifications. It is unrelated to child attendance, and attendance software is not added to MERIT. The attendance obligation comes from WAC 110-15-0126.
How do I tell DCYF that I use a third-party attendance system?
Email electronic.attendance@dcyf.wa.gov with your name, your SSPS number, and the name of your attendance system. This is the provider's responsibility, not the vendor's.
What happens if I do not meet the requirement?
Providers new to serving subsidy families generally have 90 days from initial authorization to complete training and log a transaction, or report an approved third-party system, or authorizations can close. Separately, attendance records may be used to determine whether an overpayment occurred, which can lead to an established overpayment and suspension of subsidy payment.
Does DCYF approval mean DCYF recommends a system?
No. DCYF states that approval does not constitute or imply endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the department, and that providers assume the risks of working with a third-party vendor.
Is there free child care software for small programs?
For subsidy attendance specifically, DCYF's own system is free. Separately, some platforms offer free tiers for very small programs. See our guide to free software for home daycares for what those cover, and our pricing comparison for how paid plans differ.
Attendance, Billing, and Parent Messaging in One Place
CheckInKids is a DCYF-approved electronic attendance system with flat-rate pricing and no per-child fees. Try it free, no credit card required.