Vancouver/CMEDIA: The Province of British Columbia (BC) is protecting parents from extra child care fees by requiring providers to offer at least 9.5 hours of care per day before charging for extended hours.
“YMCA BC appreciates the ongoing work of the Ministry of Education and Child Care and their collaboration with the sector to bring down costs for parents and deliver accessible, high-quality child care for British Columbians,”
To ensure families are not charged extra fees for hours that should reasonably be expected to be included in their base fee, effective April 1, 2026, child care providers participating in the Child Care Fee Reduction Initiative must offer at least 9.5 hours of care, per day, before charging for extended hours.
“Families deserve predictability and fairness…to make sure hard-working parents aren’t paying more for a reasonable day of care. These changes protect the pocketbooks of B.C. families and establish consistency for providers, while maintaining their flexibility to design programs that meet community needs,” said Lisa Beare, Minister of Education and Child Care,” Heidi Worthington, president and CEO, YMCA BC said.
Understanding benefits for families, operators
Families and operators would get an updated policy information of what is included in a base fee effective April 1, 2026, and sets a minimum threshold before additional extended-hour fees can apply.
Depending on what works for the providers, they will continue to set their hours for their program, staff and families.
Most providers will not be affected as 95% of providers who are already delivering a standard full day of care before charging additional fees. Only about 5% of providers will have to adjust their business.
Summarizing the Child Care Fee Reduction Initiative
The Child Care Fee Reduction Initiative lowers monthly fees for families in participating licensed centres, and consequently reduces the cost of child care.
97% of eligible licensed centres in BC participated in the program, which, along with the Affordable Child Care Benefit, has saved families more than $3 billion in fees since the initiative started.
This updated policy supports equity for families, especially those balancing a busy lifestyle, such as those with work, school, commuting and other responsibilities.
“I’m happy to see the Province making this change. Setting a clear standard for what counts as a full day of care protects parents from paying extra for reasonable hours and creates fairness across the sector, while still allowing providers flexibility to meet community needs,” Daljit Gill-Badesha, chair, Provincial Child Care Council said.
