Child care

Many parents, guardians, or caregivers in B.C. work or go to school. They need someone to take care of their children while they are away working or in class. Many of these children go to child care. Child care centres (sometimes called daycares) are centres or homes where 1 or more adults take care of, and supervise (watch over), other people’s children.

Child care centres help children learn, develop, and get new skills. Most child care services are open Monday to Friday all year long. They are usually closed on statutory holidays.

Parents, guardians, or caregivers pay for child care. They may be able to deduct (take out) this money from the income tax they pay. Learn more about tax deductions for child care costs.

There are 4 kinds of child care in B.C.: 

• Licensed child care 
• Registered licence-not-required child care 
• Licence-not-required child care 
• In-child’s-own-home care

Licensed child care 

A licence is special permission from the government that shows a place, like a child care facility, follows the rules to keep children safe. A licensed child care facility is regularly checked by the government. Staff at licensed child care facilities are educated to care for children. Child care facilities must meet many requirements to get a licence. The space and the equipment must be safe and clean. The staff must have training and safety checks. They must follow rules for keeping records, having enough staff, not having too many children, and having good activities for the children.

Registered licence-not-required child care

These are child care facilities that do not have a special licence. They are often in someone’s home. Unlicensed child care facilities must register with a Child Care Resource and Referral Centre. The care provider must meet certain safety requirements to register, including: 

• first aid training 
• criminal record check for everyone over the age 12 who lives in the home 
• character references (people who know the care provider and say they are trustworthy) 
• home safety assessment (checking the home to make sure it is safe for children) 
• child care training courses or workshops

Licence-not-required child care 

These child care providers can care for 1 or 2 children (or more if they are from the same family), in addition to their own children. They are not registered with the CCRR, and they are not licensed, monitored (watched), or inspected (checked) by the government. Licence-not-required child care providers do not have to meet the same health and safety standards as licensed providers. Parents and guardians are responsible for making sure these facilities are safe for their children.

In-child’s-own-home care 

This is when parents or guardians have child care in their own home—for example, a nanny or a babysitter comes to the home to take care of the children. Parents or guardians decide how to find and hire the child care provider. In-home child care providers do not need any special training or qualifications, but they must follow certain rules. They cannot be a relative of the family. They can only care for the children who live in the house—they cannot care for other people’s children at the same time.

To find child care, contact your local Child Care Resource and Referral Centre (CCRR). They can help you find licensed, registered, and licence-not-required child-care providers who may have room for your child.

Child Care Resources

The Government of British Columbia offers programs like the $10 a day ChildCareBC Centres and the Affordable Child Care Benefit to help families pay for child care.

For more information, visit the ChildCareBC page.