The ChildCareBC New Spaces Fund is instrumental in creating thousands of new licensed child care spaces throughout B.C., improving access to child care for families who want affordable, quality care. The fund is an integral pathway for public sector child care providers to create accessible and inclusive child care spaces.
The ChildCareBC New Spaces Fund helps to create, expand and relocate child care centres proposing to create new licensed child care spaces. The following applicants are eligible to apply.
Funding is not available for occasional care, child minding, recreational care, preschool, family or in-home multi-age license types.
The complete list of eligibility requirements can be found in section 6 of the funding guidelines:
The Ministry focuses space creation investment in alignment with provincial priorities and commitments under the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement.
Child care types
The ChildCareBC New Spaces Fund prioritizes infant and toddler child care spaces, school age spaces and child care space in underserved regions. License types that serve infants and toddlers include Group Child Care (under 36 months) and Group Multi-Age Child Care.
Community focus
The ChildCareBC New Spaces Fund prioritizes projects that create as many spaces throughout the province as possible. The program also priorities:
Priority populations
The ChildCareBC New Spaces Fund prioritizes space creation projects serving priority populations including:
Applicants to the ChildCareBC New Spaces Fund have access to two funding streams: the major capital grant and minor capital grant.
Funding recipients are expected to anticipate any and all potential project risks prior to applying and are to manage their project budget throughout the course of construction. If you experience escalating costs, contact the New Spaces Fund team to discuss your situation.
Fees related to project management are eligible for funding, so long as the project manager is a third party at arm's length from the project and applicant. Project management must be contracted out for their fees to be eligible for provincial funding. As these are considered professional fees, they must not exceed 15% of the total eligible costs.
Major Capital Funding Projects
Major capital projects apply for funding under the Major Capital Grant. The grant supports major projects by providing funding during the design and construction phases of a project.
These projects are ground-up builds, modular builds and major renovations, including expansions and additions, requesting more than $500,000.
Applicants must own the land on which the proposed child care centre will be built. Indigenous Governing Entities are exempt from this requirement.
For grant recipients who intend to secure an authorized operator to run the child care centre, the lease between parties must not be greater than fair-market rent.
More information is available in the 2024-25 Major New Spaces Fund Funding Guidelines (PDF, 778KB).
Minor Capital Funding Projects
Minor capital projects are renovations and equipment-only projects anticipated to be complete within one year, requesting up to $500,000. Applicants can own or lease the land on which the projects are being completed.
Grant recipients leasing child care centres will be required to share a copy of the executed lease or letter of intent to lease and must demonstrate an arm's length relationship with the land owner.
More information is available in the 2024-25 Minor New Spaces Fund Funding Guidelines (PDF, 770KB).
Not-for-profit organizations, including Indigenous not-for-profits, are required to be registered as a society in British Columbia under the Societies Act, as well as be operational for at least 1 year prior to application in order to qualify for a minor capital grant.
Leased spaces are eligible for funding under Minor Capital Funding only. A copy of the executed lease or letter of intent to lease is required and must demonstrate an arm's length relationship. The term of the lease agreement must meet or exceed the length of the service commitment or contain options to extend.
Lease payments are not an eligible expense for funding under the ChildCareBC New Spaces Fund. Any and all costs incurred prior to signing the Funding Agreement, with the exception of consulting services, are not considered for funding, including the down payment to secure a lease. Draft agreements are accepted and may be a viable option for applicants who do not wish to secure a location prior to funding approval.
Public sector organizations, as outlined in the eligibility section above, can apply to the New Spaces fund starting May 15. Applications will be accepted until August 2, 2024. After August 2, 2024, the Ministry will review requests, select projects and notify applicants if they have been selected to move forward. Depending on the number of applications and budget availability, the ministry may open a second intake in fall 2024.
Before applying to the New Spaces Fund, applicants are encouraged to consult with local First Nations on their plans. This is one way to support development of projects that serve all members of the community and an opportunity to initiate or strengthen relationships with First Nations governments on whose territory the space is to be developed.
Step 1: Review Information
Review the following:
For guidance on the development of your child care project, please contact the Child Care Development team at the Ministry of Education and Child Care.
Step 2: Contact your Regional Health Authority
Contact your regional health authority to ensure the proposed project or facility changes will meet the requirements of the Child Care Licensing Regulation.
Step 3: Prepare your application
Prepare the required documentation. Refer to the Mandatory Documents Table in the Funding Guidelines.
Step 4: Complete the applicable application form
Complete the applicable application form and ensure all sections are complete.
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Step 5: Submit your application
Submit the application with the mandatory supporting documents by email to CCCF@gov.bc.ca.
Applications are reviewed for their completion, quality and against key priorities.
The Ministry may contact applicants for clarification on their application or to request additional information before making a funding decision. The Ministry may also contact experts in other ministries for input to ensure the review process considers the unique needs of each community and project.
Under the Major Capital Funding stream, once the intake is closed (August 2, 2024) and applications reviewed, all applicants are notified of the outcome of their application, with successful applicants invited to enter into a New Spaces Fund Funding Agreement with the ministry. Once the funding agreement is complete, the recipient will receive funding according to the disbursement schedule and will be required to start the project. To help ensure fair and equitable access to capital funding, school district requests are considered at the same time as other applications to the New Spaces Fund.
Accessibility
Applications are evaluated based on their ability to demonstrate principles of universal and accessible design, and commitment to accessibility.
In your response, include examples that support how the proposed facility incorporates these principles. This may include wheelchair ramps, inclusive bathroom design, and bathroom and stair hand rails etc.
For resources and information on creating inclusive and accessible child care environments, refer to the following resources:
Capital build experience
Applications are evaluated on several criteria including years of experience in operating a child care centre and managing capital build projects.
Capital build experience refers to experience managing the development and ground-up builds of facilities or community amenities, such as playgrounds, skating rinks or community gardens. Applicants whose capital build experience includes child care builds, renovations or property acquisitions should include this information in their application.
The ministry considers capital build experience because organizations must navigate regulations, such as child care licensing and local government requirements, which can be challenging. While capital build experience is evaluated, providers who have limited experience are eligible to apply, especially if their proposal will meet other priorities and criteria.
Child care operating experience
Hiring experienced staff is important, however, it is the organization or identified operating partner that needs to show experience operating a child care centre.
In the space provided, demonstrate your experience managing staff, working with parents, purchasing equipment and supplies, etc.
While experience in child care will be evaluated, providers who have limited experience are encouraged to apply, especially if their proposal will meet other priorities and criteria.
Class D cost estimate and detailed project budget
Under the Major Capital Funding stream, at minimum a Class D Estimate accompanied by a detailed project budget must be included as part of the application. The Ministry uses the Class D estimate and detailed project budget to review project costs and contingencies instead of prioritizing at a cost per space.
A Class D cost estimate is a preliminary cost projection for a proposed project as determined by a third-party professional Quantity Surveyor at arm's length from the applicant. The estimate is typically expressed in analysis format, then summarized by cost per square meter. A Class D cost estimate must include identified site-specific conditions and potential risk items to complete the project. The requirement has been added under the major capital grant funding stream to ensure accuracy when determining the allocation of costs within the overall budget. It helps ensure site-specific conditions and any potential risk items have been identified to account for variances in unknown conditions that cannot be quantified or foreseen for the project. This may include abnormal topographical or sub-surface conditions, contaminated soils, municipal requirements or hazardous materials abatement.
To mitigate potential budget and project risks, project budgets must identify a contingency amount based on a minimum Class D estimate that accounts for identified site-specific conditions and risk associated with the project.
Community need and engagement
Applicants need to provide documentation that identifies the community's need for child care. This may include a community child care plan or child care needs assessment. The plan should reference the centre's location and define the community need for more child care spaces.
Community need is determined by analyzing community demographics and child population, current child care availability in the community and an assessment of current and future child care space demands. The Ministry prioritizes applications that are able to demonstrate creation of child care spaces that align with the community's child care needs.
Before applying to the New Spaces Fund, applicants are encouraged to consult with local First Nations on their plans. This is one way to support development of projects that serve all members of the community and an opportunity to initiate or strengthen relationships with First Nations governments on whose territory the space is to be developed.
If the community does not have an available Community Child Care Plan or Child Care Needs Assessment, the ministry will accept other documents that quantify and justify local child care needs. This may include current waitlist data, population data, utilization rates or a letter from a local official outlining community need.
For more information, refer to the funding guidelines.
Contingency Funds
To mitigate potential budget and project risks:
Organization's financial contributions
Not-for-profit applicants to both the major and minor funding streams must provide proof of 10% of total project costs. This includes eligible expenses, ineligible expenses and contingency funds.
Loans and other funding contributions are considered as an organization's financial contribution. Volunteer contributions are excluded. The applicant must demonstrate that they have their contribution in place at the time of application.
Please contact program staff at 1-888-338-6622 (Option 5) to discuss what you need to provide in your submission.
Project-based evaluation
Applications must be authentic and unique as they are evaluated based on their project's specific criteria.
For example, project specifics will depend on community to be served, geographic location, number of spaces and ages of children. To ensure accuracy in both evaluation and funding, the information provided by the applicant must be accurate to the project. This includes scope of work and child care centre spaces proposed in the application.
Projects with known cost drivers, such as unique site development requirements and building in rural or remote locations, resulting in an overall higher project cost, may be subject to increased Ministry evaluation timelines due to additional levels of review.
Proof of ownership
Applicants must provide proof of final ownership of the facility at the time of application. This may be in the form of an agreement or contract signed by both parties showing the funding recipient as the owner.
Specialty programming
Section 6.3 of the application form asks applicants to provide information about specialized programming to support the applicable demographic.
For example, if the application states that programming for Indigenous children will be provided, details on the specific programming or services must be included. If a question is checked "yes" with no additional information or supporting documentation, the response will be insufficient to fully complete the evaluation process.
Organizations that receive space creation funding agree to participate in current and future ChildCareBC affordability initiatives, including Child Care Operating Funding (CCOF), the Child Care Fee Reduction Initiative (CCFRI), and the Early Childhood Educator Wage Enhancement (ECE-WE).
School districts started preparing their 2024-25 and 2025-26 child care capital plans using the expanded Capital Asset Planning System (CAPS) on April 8, 2024. Submissions for 2024-25 are accepted until May 15 and submissions for 2025-26 will align with the capital planning cycle for K-12.
For more information, refer to the 2025-26 Capital Plan instructions.
Is the ministry still prioritizing spaces that cost $40,000 or less?
The ministry acknowledges that the construction sector has shifted resulting in increased costs. Project costs can vary based on the scope of the project, categories of care and the type of build. Cost of projects will be considered alongside program intent and policies, and the ministry will continue to support child care space creation projects that maximize the number of spaces throughout British Columbia. At minimum, a Class D Estimate accompanied by a detailed project budget must be included as part of the application process under the major capital funding stream.
Will certain types of eligible organizations be prioritized over others?
The ministry selects the most viable projects that meet the New Spaces Fund's key priorities. Specific types of organizations are not prioritized over others. Eligible organizations can apply to for major and minor capital project funding through the program. Leased spaces are eligible for funding under minor capital funding only, and owned spaces are eligible for both major and minor capital funding.
Who will work at the child care centres when they open, given the shortage of qualified educators?
We know that improving access for B.C. families requires long-term, sustainable growth that aligns with the capacity of the sector's workforce that is needed to deliver these important services. Learn more about how government is taking action to recruit and retain early childhood professionals and lift up the child care sector on the Support for Early Childhood Professionals web page.
Who is responsible for securing insurance for the project? Is it sufficient for the contractor to name the organization as being insured under their plan?
As a recipient of the ChildCareBC New Spaces Fund, the organization is obligated to maintain insurance with insurers licensed in Canada. The contractor will have their insurance and the recipient will need to secure insurance.
Once funding is approved and you begin your project, you will be required to obtain the required insurance detailed in Schedule D of the funding agreement. This includes course of construction insurance and wrap-up liability insurance from the start date of construction until the completion date. You must also complete the Certificate of Insurance, retain this document for your records and ensure it is available to the Province within 10 business days when requested. A broker will be able to assist you with obtaining insurance for your project.
If I am relocating or extending my hours and moving the child care centre to another location, do I qualify for ChildCareBC New Spaces Funding?
No, the intention of the New Spaces Fund is to create new licensed child care spaces. If the project is relocating and not creating new child care spaces, it does not qualify for funding. However, if the organization is moving to a new location to increase the number of spaces, it may be eligible. If the relocation is required due to emergency circumstances, it may be eligible for funding through the ChildCareBC Maintenance Fund.
Extending hours of school-aged care spaces to include before- and after-school care in addition to after-school care, does not create new spaces. If a project proposes before OR after school care only, the spaces are considered half spaces. A full-time licensed space offers a minimum of 4 hours care per day.
For before and after school spaces, this means before-school space for 2 hours and an after school space for 2 hours, at minimum to count as a full time space.
If a project was started before the grant was issued, could the grant funding be used for other project costs not listed on the approved budget?
Eligible project costs not listed on the approved budget that are incurred after signing the funding agreement can be listed in the final Completion Report and may be considered for funding at the Ministry's discretion. With the exception of consulting services, any costs incurred prior to signing the funding agreement are not eligible and will not be considered for funding. For more details, refer to the funding guidelines.
Do rezoning applications have to be completed before applying?
No. Rezoning applications do not need to be completed prior to applying. However, applicants should understand their local municipal, federal or Indigenous Governance requirements and have started any required rezoning process, or be aware of the rezoning rules and associated costs.
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