That’s right! If you make under a certain amount and do your taxes each year, you can qualify for the maximum subsidy amount for daycare, which can make your childcare costs completely free!
To make it easy to understand, the government of Canada provides two important subsidies that help families financially. The one that you would need to apply to is the Affordable Child Care Benefit. The other is the subsidy that a daycare would apply to with the government, called the CCFRI, Child Care Fee Reduction Initiative, which helps daycares reduce the cost for families.
If a daycare provides the CCFRI, you can still apply for the Affordable Child Care Benefit. The daycare will provide the costs of tuition with the CCFRI rate when you inquire about the childcare facilities’ tuition rates. These subsidies are in place to help families offset the costs of daycare.
There are also daycares in BC that registered with the $10 a Day ChildCareBC Centres, the idea is to “provide child care providers with the opportunity to offer inclusive, affordable child care.” To find a $10 a Day Child Care facility, click this link here to be directed to the list in BC cities.
There are different classes of child care facilities, like the licensed childcare facilities for children under 19 months, all the way to children of school age. (School-age children whose parents work after school and need after-school daycare). Children under 19 months have the highest maximum benefit per month for licensed facilities, qualifying for $1,250 (as per May 25, 2025).
Then there are the registered license-not-required child care facilities, the license-not-required child care facilities, and child care in the child’s home. All of these facilities qualify for the affordable child care subsidy with child care in the child’s home having the lowest subsidy amount.
If you would like to apply for the Affordable Child Care Benefit, you will need to apply through the Family Services BC website. I’ll provide the link here so you can see how much you qualify for, and you can start the application process.
If you would like more information regarding the ACCB, you can call toll free 1-888-338-6622 (option 1).
References:
You might not have to pay for child care on your own. (n.d.). https://myfamilyservices.gov.bc.ca/s/estimator
Ministry of Education and Child Care. (2025, April 14). Child Care Fee Reduction Initiative – Province of British Columbia. https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/family-social-supports/caring-for-young-children/childcarebc-programs/child-care-fee-reduction-initiative-provider-opt-in-status
Ministry of Education and Child Care. (2025b, May 22). $10 a day ChildCareBC Centres – Province of British Columbia. https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/family-social-supports/caring-for-young-children/childcarebc-programs/10-a-day-childcarebc-centres
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