Apply for or renew Child Care Operating Funding

Step 1: Apply for or renew funding

The deadline to apply for funding for February or March 2026 is February 17, 2026. Applications received after this date will be assessed for funding starting April 1, 2026.

Use My ChildCareBC Services to apply for or renew funding.

IMPORTANT: Before submitting a renewal application:

• Review service details in Schedule A of the current 2025-26 funding agreement and advise the program of any changes to avoid application delays
• Review the fee reduction and wage enhancement  funding guidelines, including the application criteria for new centres, centres that are new to the fee reduction program and modified facilities

To complete the application or renewal, providers will need:

• Primary business BCeID
• A scanned copy or photograph of the Community Care and Assisted Living Act  licence for each centre

If opting into the fee reduction program, providers will also need:

• Full-time parent fees for the funding agreement term. New applicants to the fee reduction program will also need parent fees from the previous 12 months:
  • These are the highest fees charged to parents for full-time care
  • Full-time is considered more than four hours per day, five days per week
  • If the centre offers care for 4 hours or less each day, include the fee charged for more than 4 hours of care, excluding preschool care
  • If care is not offered at the centre five days per week, report the highest daily fee charged for that age category or contact the ministry for assistance
• Centre closure dates, if the centre charges child care fees while closed, excluding statutory holidays

The 2026-27 funding agreement will be emailed to renewing providers by February 25, 2026.

It is important to read and understand the funding agreement in full before agreeing to the terms and conditions on the program confirmation form. Providers should also check that the centre name, licence, and service details in Schedule A of the funding agreement match their current Community Care and Assisted Living Act licence. If Schedule A is not accurate, contact the ministry immediately.

If approved, providers will receive an email that their funding agreement is active. They will also receive separate notifications regarding fee reduction and wage enhancement applications.

Report any changes to licence and service details within two business days.

Providers approved for base funding, fee reductions or wage enhancements must meet all obligations in the funding agreement on an ongoing basis. Below are the key next steps for each type of funding.

Once approved for base funding, providers are required to:

• Submit enrolment reports between the 15th of the prior month and the last day of the sixth month following the applicable reporting month. For example, submit Enrolment Reports for April between March 15 and October 31
• Report any changes to licence and service details within two business days through My ChildCareBC Services

Providers applying for fee reductions or wage enhancements are not required to reduce their parent fees or enhance staff wages until they receive written approval from the program. Any reduction in fees passed on to parents or wage enhancements passed on to staff prior to receiving approval are at the provider’s sole discretion and responsibility.

Once approved for fee reductions, providers are required to:

• Calculate the fee reduction amount for each child using Schedule C of the funding agreement or call the service centre to request a fee reduction calculator
• Within 30 days, notify parents of the amount of fee reduction funding for their child and the amount and timing of any approved fee increases
• Inform the applicable staff if the centre was approved to participate based on the intention and commitment to increase their wage
• Advise parents of any relevant information to this agreement in the form and frequency directed by the ministry in writing

Download the following optional support documents:

• Parent notification template
• Staff notification template

Once approved for the wage enhancement program, providers are required to:

• Within 30 days, notify all eligible early childhood educators in writing of their participation
• Before submitting a claim, use the document(s) below to collect written acknowledgement from all eligible early childhood educators confirming their knowledge, consent, and authorization for providers to collect and disclose to the ministry their personal information and other information for the purposes of administering, planning, evaluating, and auditing the wage enhancement program
• Submit wage enhancement reports between the 1st of the following month and the last day of the sixth month following the applicable reporting month. For example, submit reports for April between May 1 and October 31

Download the following support documents:

• ECE notification template (optional template)
• ECE Employee Acknowledgement (PDF)
• ECE Owner/Co-Owner Acknowledgement (PDF)

After the program confirmation form is submitted, the ministry will review and assess the information using eligibility criteria outlined in the funding guidelines, for each funding area. Providers may be contacted to make corrections or provide more information. Once the review and assessment are complete, providers will receive separate notifications with the outcome of the application for base funding, and if applicable, fee reductions and wage enhancements.

Providers are not required to reduce parent fees or enhance staff wages until they receive written approval from the ministry. Any reduction in fees passed on to parents or wage enhancements passed on to staff prior to receiving approval are at the provider’s sole discretion and responsibility.

If you have already submitted the program confirmation form, call the operating funding program to report any changes.

After the terms and conditions of the funding agreement have been agreed to, providers must report any changes to licence and service details within two business days through My ChildCareBC Services. Depending on the changes, the funding agreement may need to be updated, which could affect funding.

Providers who have requested fee increases at or below the fee increase limit, who submit complete applications and have signed funding agreements, will receive an approval notification of their Child Care Fee Reduction Initiative participation in a few business days.

Wherever possible, the ministry will work with providers who are renewing their fee reduction funding to give temporary approval until a final decision is made. This ensures stable monthly fees for families while the ministry completes its assessment.

However, providers with a fee increase scheduled for April cannot be offered temporary approval. In this situation, the ministry will continue to work with providers and prioritize their application wherever possible to ensure minimal disruption to payment. Providers can help speed up this process by submitting their program confirmation form and responding to all ministry queries as soon as possible.