Child Care Fee Reduction Initiative - Information for families
Last updated on December 15, 2025The Child Care Fee Reduction Initiative helps make child care more affordable by providing funding to participating licensed child care providers to reduce and stabilize monthly child care fees. Savings are passed directly to families each month through reduced child care fees.
Families do not need to apply and savings are passed on directly by providers each month through reduced costs for each child in a participating licensed child care centre.
On this page
- Eligibility
- Estimate your child care fee savings
- Full-time rates
- Part-time rates
- Other child care fees and fee increases
- Frequently asked questions
Eligibility
Families with children aged 12 and under enrolled in a participating child care program are eligible for fee reductions. The program is not income-tested and families do not need to apply.
Use the fee reduction estimator or child care map to find participating providers.
Providers with an application in progress, including mid-term fee increase requests, will not appear in the search results. Contact your provider to find out if they are enrolled or plan to enrol.
Families with a household income of up to $111,000 may also apply to the Affordable Child Care Benefit for additional savings.
Estimate your child care fee savings
Use the fee reduction estimator to see how much you may be able to save. This estimate is for planning purposes only. It does not account for individual circumstances such as sibling discounts, and it is not a guarantee of payment.
Out-of-pocket fees for families, after the applicable fee reductions, will not be reduced below $200 a month for full-time care, with limited exceptions. Part-time care receives a pro-rated amount.
Full-time rates
Families can save up to $900 each month per child for full-time care.
Rates
| Care category | Rates per month |
|---|---|
| Infant and toddler under 36 months |
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| Ages 3 to kindergarten |
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| Preschool |
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| Kindergarten |
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| Grade 1 to age 12 |
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Fee reductions do not cover optional fees, and providers can’t start charging optional fees for services that used to be part of the parent fee.
Part-time care is eligible for pro-rated fee reductions. Children enrolled four hours or less per day receive reductions at 50% of the full day rate. Fee reductions are also pro-rated for children enrolled fewer than five days per week.
Preschool programs only provide care for up to four hours per day. The maximum monthly reduction of $95 will be pro-rated for fewer than five days per week.
Families can use the child care fee estimator for their part-time child care fees and fee reduction amounts.
Other child care fees and fee increases
This section provides information on some of the more common additional child care fees, including waitlist fees and deposits to hold spaces, optional charges and fee increases.
Waitlist fees and deposits
Providers receiving operating funding cannot charge waitlist or waitlist-related fees. Deposits to hold spaces are permitted at the provider’s discretion.
Optional fees
Providers may charge for optional services, such as meals and transportation. Families can opt out and still receive standard care.
Child care providers in the fee reduction program may only charge optional fees for extended hours after offering a minimum of 9.5 hours of service in a day during their regular hours of operation. This policy does not require providers to offer a minimum 9.5 hours of service. Instead, it sets a clear threshold for when optional fees may apply for extended hours.
Fee increases
The annual fee increase limit is set at 3% of the regional median fee. The maximum exceptional fee increase amount is based on 10% of the regional median fee.
These limits help keep child care affordable while supporting provider sustainability.
In the past two years, most providers were approved with a fee increase at or below the fee increase limit, or no fee increase at all.
Frequently asked questions
When can a provider request an exceptional fee increase?
Exceptional increases may be approved for:
- Sudden, unexpected expenses, such as health and safety repairs, natural disasters
- Increasing wages for direct care staff tied to collective bargaining or staffing shortages
- Expanding priority services, such as Indigenous language and cultural programming
- Maintaining affordable care for underserved populations
Why is there a minimum child care fee?
To align with the $10 a Day ChildCareBC program, fees will not be reduced below $200 per month, or $10 a day, for full-time care; or $140 per month, or $7 per day for part-time care, with limited exceptions.
How many weeks can a provider close and still charge fees?
Providers may not charge fees for closures longer than two consecutive weeks in a month or four weeks total per funding term, excluding statutory holidays. Longer closures require ministry approval.
Where can I learn more about inclusive child care?
Access ChildCareBC's Inclusive child care web page for resources and information on inclusive child care.
Supporting information
Contact information
Child Care Service Centre
Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. PT
Interpreting services are available in over 140 languages
1-888-338-6622 (Option 2)