By the SILA Childcare team. Updated .
Information checked against official Government of BC pages in October 2026. Rules and amounts can change, so always confirm on the official Affordable Child Care Benefit page.
Who can qualify
- A parent or guardian lives in BC.
- A parent or guardian is a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, Convention refugee or protected person.
- The family has a reason for needing care, such as working or being self-employed, going to school, taking part in an employment program, looking for work, or a medical condition. Maternity or parental leave does not count as a reason.
- The care is an eligible type. Most types are, including licensed group child care. Care by a family member living in your home, drop-in care and recreational care are not eligible.
How income is counted
The benefit is income-tested. According to the government's eligibility page:
- Families earning up to $111,000 a year generally may qualify. Families who earn more may still qualify if they have large deductions for family size or for children with support needs.
- Income is reduced by $2,000 for each family member after the first two, and by $3,000 for each child with support needs.
- For licensed care, families with an adjusted income up to $45,000 can get the maximum benefit. Families with higher incomes may get a partial benefit.
The amount also depends on family size and the type of care. The official benefit estimator gives you a rough idea of what you might get. It is a guide only, not a guarantee.
How to apply
- Apply online through My Family Services, where you can also track your application. If you can't apply online, you can apply by phone, mail or fax. Details are on the official page.
- Send all your supporting documents with your application. The government says incomplete applications take much longer to process.
- Apply on time. Apply before the end of the month in which you need care. For example, apply by September 30 for care starting September 1.
- Renew every year. Families need to renew their application annually.
Need help? The Child Care Service Centre is at 1-888-338-6622 (option 1), Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, with interpreting in over 140 languages. Your local Child Care Resource and Referral centre and Service BC offices can also help in person.
Other programs that lower costs
- Child Care Fee Reduction Initiative: funding paid to participating licensed providers to lower monthly fees. Parents do not need to apply.
- $10 a Day ChildCareBC Centres: a province-wide network of centres with reduced fees.
Our Fees and enrolment page shows SILA's status for each program once it is confirmed.