In early 2020, the Washington State Departments of Commerce and Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) engaged in research studies related to early childhood education finance. The Child Care Collaborative Task Force, established by the Washington State Legislature, directed Commerce to conduct a Child Care Industry Assessment, which includes an analysis of subsidy policies for Child Care Working Connections Child Care and the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP). The assessment also included several additional interrelated analyses, including a child care cost model and an analysis of workforce compensation, upon which the subsidy policy analysis is dependent. The full analysis originally planned for this subsidy policy analysis could not be completed due to a pause on provider data collection and cost modeling caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The following analysis is an initial step toward a fuller analysis that could be completed once full provider participation is feasible. This initial analysis focuses on the Task Force’s interest in alternative rate-setting methodologies and subsidy rate regions. (author abstract)