The Province is reaffirming its ongoing commitment to making child care more affordable, inclusive and culturally safe through the Early Learning and Child Care Act.

The Province will bring this act into force on Sept. 1, 2024, to replace and improve on the existing Child Care BC Act and Child Care Subsidy Act.

The Early Learning and Child Care Act will expand the purpose for which a child care grant may be paid, such as:

• establishing a child care facility;
• improving the inclusivity in child care for children with support needs; and
• facilitating the design and delivery of Indigenous child care programs.

This will help improve access to child care for families.

New annual reporting requirements will provide the public with additional insight into how much government funding is being invested in child care in B.C., as well as the outcomes achieved from this funding.

Also starting Sept. 1, 2024, enhanced affordable child care benefit supports will be available to families when their child care is arranged or recommended by an Indigenous authority under Indigenous law. This means families will receive the same support with their child care costs, regardless of whether their child care is arranged or recommended by the Ministry of Children and Family Development, Indigenous Child and Family Service Agencies, or under Indigenous law.

Families, child care providers and early childhood educators will continue to receive the same level of support from the current fee reductions, operational funding and wage-enhancement programs through the Early Learning and Child Care Act.

Likewise, there are no other changes to eligibility for the affordable child care benefit. Families will continue to receive the same level of support without interruption.

Since the introduction of government’s ChildCareBC Plan in 2018, the Province has been building a future where access to affordable, quality, inclusive child care is a core service that families can rely on.

Learn More:

To learn more about ChildCareBC: https://www.gov.bc.ca/childcare

To apply for the affordable child care benefit: https://www.gov.bc.ca/affordablechildcarebenefit