Operational Start Up Fund for School Age Care
Last updated on May 26, 2026The Operational Start Up Fund for School Age Care helps school districts and eligible child care operators to expand or create new school age care programs on school grounds by assisting with initial operational costs. Funding is provided for operational start-up expenses to help support the opening and operating of new school age spaces on school grounds. Eligible operators can receive $1,500 for each new school age care space, up to a maximum of $150,000 per site.
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Eligibility
The following child care providers may be eligible for the Operational Start Up Fund:
- School Districts who plan to deliver board operated care and were successfully awarded funding through the Ministry of Infrastructure’s Child Care Capital Grant in 2026. This may include new programs offering new licensed school age spaces, or the expansion of existing programs that add new licensed school age spaces
- Not-for-profit operators delivering school age child care on school grounds that have been selected by a School District to operate spaces funded through the Ministry of Infrastructure’s Child Care Capital Grant in 2026
Funding provided through the Operational Start Up Fund must be used for school age space creation and cannot be used to support the operational expenses associated with any other category of care.
Existing licensed spaces are not eligible for funding. The operator is required to maintain operation of the funded spaces for three years and must participate in Child Care Operating Funding, the Child Care Fee Reduction Initiative, the Early Childhood Educator Wage Enhancement, the $10 a Day ChildCareBC program, or another government funding initiative, for the three year commitment period.
Eligible and ineligible expenses
Eligible costs
- Costs associated with the development of an inclusion policy
- Costs associated with the development of program policies required by licensing (e.g. active play, illness, etc.)
- Housewares (e.g., pots, pans, dishes, flatware, brooms, garbage cans)
- Lease costs
- Legal costs (must be directly related to the child care facility operation, and unrelated to any ongoing legal disputes)
- Licensing applications
- Marketing and advertising (e.g., website development, social media advertising, flyers, brochures, staff recruitment)
- Office supplies
- Operational start-up costs and activities (e.g., utilities, planning, curriculum development and instructional planning)
- Parent check-in technology (e.g., staff cell phones, online parent portal software subscriptions, tablets)
- Small appliances (e.g., vacuums, air purifiers, portable heaters, portable fans)
- Staff salaries and benefits in relation to the operation of the SACSG Program and SACSG Spaces
- Toys, art supplies, books and games
- Training and certifications (e.g., First Aid, CPR, Criminal Record Check, Responsible Adult)
The ministry has the sole discretion to determine whether a cost is eligible.
Ineligible costs
- Bad debts
- Business related meals/entertainment
- Fixed outdoor play equipment (e.g. climbing structure) and/or program equipment eligible for Ministry of Infrastructure Child Care Capital funding
- Fundraising
- Insurance for operations
- Loans
- Networking activities (e.g., costs related to attending or hosting conferences/events/tradeshows, costs associated with directly meeting and/or lobbying with any level of government, meals, and travel expenses, etc.)
- Proprietary programming
- Renovations
- Staff gifts
- Taxes (e.g. property tax)
- Travel expenses
- Vehicle rentals
Any ineligible costs are the financial responsibility of the operator.
Funding considerations
School Age Care space creation projects that have been approved for Child Care Capital Grants in 2026 are eligible for the Operational Start Up Fund. The amount of funding provided is based on the number of new spaces being created.
Ministry program staff will contact each Child Care Capital project to confirm the program operator and initiate the award process.
Operators must submit all required information and execute a funding agreement before any funds can be issued. The operator should pursue licensing the spaces as School Age Care on School Grounds category of care and are encouraged to contact their local health authority to determine space limits and for any other questions related to licensing requirements.
Funding requirements
After the spaces become operational, successful operators must submit an annual report each year for three years until the commitment period has ended. Approved projects are expected to be completed within the estimated timeline given to program staff at the time of approval. Those experiencing delays should contact the ministry at CCCF@gov.bc.ca to discuss their circumstances.
Operational Start-Up Fund funding guidelines (PDF, 428KB)
Contact information
Child Care Capital Grants
Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. PT
Toll Free Phone: 1-888-338-6622 (option 5)
Email: cccf@gov.bc.ca