Parent guide
A parent's guide to child care in BC
Everything you need to find, choose and pay for child care in British Columbia, in one place. Each section links to the official source, so you can apply or check details yourself.
On this page
Finding child care, step by step
- Start early. Infant and toddler spaces are the hardest to find. Many parents start looking during pregnancy or as soon as they know their return-to-work date.
- Work out what you need. Think about your child's age, the days and hours you need, how far you can travel, your budget, and whether you'd like a centre or a smaller home-based setting.
- Make a list. Search our map or browse by city. You can filter by age group and see which places report vacancies. Your local Child Care Resource & Referral (CCRR) centre can also help for free.
- Call and join waitlists. Each provider runs its own waitlist, including $10 a Day centres. Getting on several lists is common. Write down where you applied and check in every month or two.
- Check the inspection reports for each place on your shortlist (see Safety and inspections).
- Visit and ask questions. Use our tour checklist. Go at a time when children are there.
- Apply for help paying. Apply for the Affordable Child Care Benefit as soon as you have a space. Fee reductions at participating centres are automatic.
- Read the contract before you sign. Check the fees, any deposit, the notice period, the sick and closure policies, and what happens to the fee on holidays.
Types of child care in BC
BC has four kinds of child care: licensed care, registered licence-not-required care, licence-not-required care, and care in your child's own home. Only licensed care is inspected by a health authority.
| Type | Ages | Max. group size | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Group care (under 3) | Birth to 36 months | 12 | Centre |
| Group care (2.5 years to school age) | 30 months to kindergarten | 25 | Centre |
| Preschool | 2.5 years to kindergarten | 20 | Centre, usually 1–4 hours a day in the school year |
| School age (before and after school) | Kindergarten and up | 24 (K–Grade 1), 30 (Grade 2 and up) | Centre or school grounds |
| Multi-age | Birth to 12 | 8 | Centre |
| In-home multi-age | Birth to 12 | 8 | Provider's home |
| Family child care | Birth to 12 | 7 | Provider's home |
| Occasional (drop-in) | 18 months and up | 16–20 | Up to 8 hours a day, 40 hours a month |
| Licence-not-required | Any | 2 unrelated children, or one sibling group | Provider's home. Not inspected. |
| In your own home (nanny) | Any | Your own children only | Your home. You're the employer. |
All licensed types are licensed and inspected by the health authority. Registered licence-not-required providers are registered with a CCRR centre. Source: Province of BC, types of child care.
Licence-not-required providers don't need any training and aren't checked by anyone, so you're responsible for screening them. A provider caring for more than two unrelated children (or more than one sibling group) without a licence may be operating illegally.
If you hire a nanny to care for your children in your home, you become their employer. That means making Employment Insurance and Canada Pension Plan payments and registering with the Canada Revenue Agency and WorkSafeBC.
Costs and help paying
BC has several programs that lower the cost of child care, and many families can use more than one. Two are automatic. Others you have to apply for.
$10 a Day ChildCareBC centres No application
Families at these centres pay no more than $200 a month per child for full-time care. Spaces are limited and each centre manages its own waitlist, so contact centres directly. With the Affordable Child Care Benefit, some families pay little or nothing.
Child Care Fee Reduction Initiative (CCFRI) No application
Participating licensed providers lower their monthly fees, and families with children 12 and under get the reduction automatically. There's no income test. On our site, these providers have a Fee reduction (CCFRI) tag. Maximum monthly reductions for full-time care:
| Age | Group care | Family care |
|---|---|---|
| Under 36 months | $900 | $600 |
| 3 years to kindergarten | $545 | $500 |
| Kindergarten | $320 | $320 |
| Grade 1 to age 12 | $115 | $145 |
| Preschool | $95 | – |
Part-time care (4 hours a day or less) gets half the full-day amount, and fewer days a week are pro-rated. Optional fees like meals and transportation aren't reduced. Fees after the reduction won't go below $200 a month for full-time care, with limited exceptions.
CCFRI for families · Fee reduction estimator · Find CCFRI providers on our map
Affordable Child Care Benefit (ACCB) Apply
A monthly payment that helps with child care costs. Families earning up to $111,000 a year before tax may qualify, and families with higher incomes and large deductions can still apply. The amount depends on your income, family size, the type of care and your fees. It can be combined with fee reductions and $10 a Day.
- Who qualifies: a parent who lives in BC and has a qualifying reason for care, such as working, going to school, looking for work, an employment program, a medical condition, or a child in licensed preschool. Maternity or parental leave doesn't count.
- Children with support needs may get up to $150 more a month.
- Not covered: unlicensed care by a family member who lives with you, licensed occasional care, drop-in care and recreational care.
- Renew every year. You also need to report changes, such as a new job or a new provider.
How to apply: online through My Family Services, by phone at 1-888-338-6622 (option 1, Mon–Fri 8:30–4:30, interpreters in 140+ languages), or in person at a CCRR centre, an immigrant settlement agency or a Service BC office.
Young Parent Program Apply
Help with child care costs for parents under 25 who are finishing high school.
Canada Child Benefit and BC Family Benefit File your taxes
These tax-free monthly payments aren't for child care only, but they help with the cost of raising kids. For July 2026 to June 2027:
- Canada Child Benefit: up to $8,157 a year per child under 6 and $6,883 per child aged 6 to 17. The amount goes down as family income goes above $38,237.
- Child Disability Benefit: up to $3,480 a year more for each child eligible for the disability tax credit.
- BC Family Benefit: up to $1,750 a year for your first child, $1,100 for your second and $900 for each additional child. Low-income single parents can get up to $500 more a year.
Register your child for the Canada Child Benefit (usually when you register the birth), and make sure both parents file a tax return every year. You get the BC Family Benefit automatically.
Child care expense tax deduction File your taxes
You may be able to deduct what you paid for child care on your income tax return (line 21400), up to a yearly limit per child that depends on the child's age. Keep every receipt from your provider. In a two-parent family, the parent with the lower income usually claims it.
Choosing a daycare: what to ask
Visit in person, ideally while children are there. Trust your instincts: watch how staff talk to the children and how the children seem.
Licence and staff
- Is the licence posted? What type is it, and for how many children?
- How many staff are with each group, and are they certified Early Childhood Educators?
- How long have staff worked here? Will my child have the same caregivers each day?
- Have all staff had criminal record checks?
Fees and contract
- What's the monthly fee, before and after any fee reduction?
- Is there a deposit, registration fee or waitlist fee?
- Are there extra fees for meals, field trips or late pick-up?
- How much notice do I have to give to leave? Do I pay for holidays and closures?
A typical day
- What does a typical day look like? How much time is spent outdoors?
- How do you handle naps, meals, snacks and allergies?
- How do you handle challenging behaviour?
- Do you follow the BC Early Learning Framework?
Health, safety and communication
- What's your sick policy? When do I need to keep my child home?
- What's your emergency and evacuation plan? Who can pick up my child?
- How will you update me during the day? Can I visit any time?
- How do you support children with extra needs or who speak other languages?
The Province also has a printable Parents' Guide to Selecting and Monitoring Child Care in BC (PDF).
Safety, licensing and inspections
Licensed child care in BC is licensed and inspected by your regional health authority. Facilities usually get a routine inspection every 12 to 18 months, and more often if needed. Inspection reports list what inspectors found and any complaints that were confirmed. They don't rate or rank facilities, so read them as one part of your research.
Vancouver Coastal Health
Vancouver, Richmond, North Shore, Sea-to-Sky, Sunshine Coast
Inspection reportsEach facility page on our site also links straight to its health authority's reports.
Reporting a concern
If you're worried about a child's health, safety or well-being at a licensed facility, contact your health authority's licensing office right away. Give the provider's name, the address and what you saw. You don't have to give your name. You can also report someone you think is caring for more than two unrelated children without a licence.
How to make a complaint, with phone numbers for each health authority
If a child is in immediate danger, call 911. If you think a child is being abused or neglected, call the BC Helpline for Children at 310-1234 (no area code, 24 hours a day).
Children with support needs
Your child doesn't need a diagnosis to get support. Families, doctors, public health nurses and child care providers can all make a referral.
- Supported Child Development (SCD) helps children with extra support needs take part fully in regular child care, with consultants who work with the family and the provider.
- Infant Development Program: home visits for children up to age 3 who show signs of, or are at risk of, a developmental delay.
- Early Intervention Therapy: occupational therapy, physiotherapy and speech-language therapy from birth until school starts. Families can refer themselves.
- The Affordable Child Care Benefit and the Child Disability Benefit both pay more for children with support needs (see Costs).
Early Childhood Intervention Programs (Province of BC)
Indigenous families
- Aboriginal Head Start: free, culturally based early learning for Indigenous children, on reserve (FNHA) and in urban and northern communities (Aboriginal Head Start Association of BC).
- Aboriginal Supported Child Development: culturally based support for children with extra needs in child care.
- BC Aboriginal Child Care Resource & Referral: information and resources for families and programs.
- Métis Child Care Benefit: up to $750 a month per child (12 and under) on top of the Affordable Child Care Benefit, for Métis Nation BC citizens.
All programs for Indigenous families (Province of BC)
Free early learning and getting ready for school
- StrongStart BC: free drop-in early learning at many schools for children from birth to 5, with a parent or caregiver who stays with them. It isn't child care, but it's a great way to meet other families. Find a StrongStart centre.
- Kindergarten: children can start in September of the year they turn 5. Registration usually opens in January or February, so plan ahead for before- and after-school care too. Getting ready for kindergarten.
- Health questions: call 8-1-1 or visit HealthLink BC to talk to a nurse any time, free.
Common questions
When should I start looking for child care?
As early as you can, especially for babies and toddlers. Many parents start during pregnancy. Join several waitlists, and contact your local CCRR centre for help.
How do I get a $10 a Day space?
You don't apply to the Province. Contact the $10 a Day centres near you and join their waitlists. Each centre decides how it fills its spaces.
Do I need to apply for the fee reduction (CCFRI)?
No. If your provider takes part, the reduction comes off your monthly fee automatically, whatever your income. Ask your provider if they're enrolled.
Can I get the Affordable Child Care Benefit and a fee reduction at the same time?
Yes. Many families get both, and the benefit can also be used at $10 a Day centres. The estimator shows what you might get.
Can a daycare charge a waitlist fee?
Providers that receive provincial operating funding aren't allowed to charge waitlist fees. They can ask for a deposit to hold a space once one is offered.
Can I get the benefit while I'm on parental leave?
No. Maternity or parental leave isn't a qualifying reason for the Affordable Child Care Benefit. Apply once you know your return date and have a space.
Is licence-not-required care safe?
It can be a good fit, but nobody inspects it and the provider doesn't need training. You'll need to check references, visit, and ask about first aid and criminal record checks yourself. Registered licence-not-required providers are registered with a CCRR centre and have to meet some basic requirements.
How can I check if a daycare has had problems?
Read its inspection reports from the health authority (see Safety and inspections). Each facility page on our site links to them.
Why is a daycare missing from your map?
Our map uses the Province's data, which mainly lists licensed facilities that get provincial operating funding. Some licensed places and all licence-not-required care may not appear.
Are vacancies on your site up to date?
Facilities report their own vacancies to the Province, so they can be out of date. Always call to confirm.
Who can I call with questions about benefits or fees?
The Province's Child Care Service Centre: 1-888-338-6622, Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. Interpreters are available.
All resources
Finding care
Paying for care
Last checked: October 31, 2026. This guide is general information. Programs, amounts and rules change, so always confirm with the official source before making decisions. BC Tots isn't part of the Province of BC or any health authority.