Together, government and child care providers are reducing fees for families and sustaining child care services in communities throughout British Columbia. Child Care Operating Funding assists providers with the day-to-day costs of running a licensed child care facility. It also enhances early childhood educator wages and reduces fees for families.
In early January 2025, applications for the 2025/26 intake will open through My ChildCareBC Services. To ensure providers have time to plan, the Child Care Fee Reduction Initiative funding guidelines have been shared.
For 2025/26, fee increase limits remain at 3% of the regional median fee. These limits support families to access affordable child care. In addition to the 3% fee increase, providers are supported through base funding, fee reductions for families, provider payments, and the Early Childhood Educator Wage Enhancement.
The affordability benchmarks for new child care centres will remain at the regional 80th percentile for children under 36 months and at the 75th percentile for all other child care categories. Refer to the 2025/26 Funding Guidelines for more information.
The Child Care Operating Funding program contact centre is open to provide support to child care providers from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, Monday to Friday, at 1-888-338-6622 (Option 2).
For $10 a Day ChildCareBC applicants: Child care providers who recently applied to the $10 a Day ChildCareBC program will learn more about the status of their application early in the new year. Successful applicants who accept a new $10 a Day ChildCareBC funding agreement will receive funding through the $10 a Day ChildCareBC program.