Child Care Operating Funding 2026 – 2027 Renewal Open
As of January 7, 2026, child care providers can renew their Child Care Operating Funding and opt into the Child Care Fee Reduction Initiative and Early Childhood Educator Wage Enhancement programs for 2026-27.
As in previous years, providers joining the fee reduction program for the first time must start with fees that reflect typical rates in their region. Providers already in the fee reduction program may increase fees by up to 3% of the regional median fee.
However, there are several important policy shifts for the CCFRI including:
- As of April 1, 2026, providers in the fee reduction program may only charge optional fees for extended hours after offering a minimum of 9.5 hours of care during regular operating hours.
- There is a streamlined pathway for school board-operated child care programs to set fees that help recover reasonable costs to operate child care on school grounds. This aligns with recent changes to enable school districts in B.C. to support families with more child care on school grounds. School boards can get details by emailing the Child Care Community Development Team at CCDevSupport@gov.bc.ca.
To avoid gaps in funding, applicants to the $10 a Day ChildCareBC program should renew their Child Care Operating Funding agreements while waiting for a decision on their $10 a Day program application.
For more information please see the fee reduction funding guidelines or wage enhancement funding guidelines. Important timelines and additional information are available on the Apply for or renew Child Care Operating Funding web page. If you have questions or need support, call 1-888-338-6622 (press 2), Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
