September 2, 2018

Do You Qualify for the Affordable Child Care Benefit? (BC)


British Columbia has introduced the Affordable Child Care Benefit as a new program to replace the Child Care Subsidy with DOUBLE the previous income cap! If your family income is under $111,000 and you have children in daycare, you should apply for this.

A parent or guardian must be:

  • A resident of B.C.
  • A Canadian citizen, a permanent resident of Canada, a Convention refugee or a person in need of protection

Type of care

Most types of child care are eligible. Child care by a family member who lives with you and licensed occasional child care are not eligible for funding.

Reason for child care

Parents must provide one of the following reasons for requiring child care:

  • Working or self-employed
  • Attending school
  • Participating in an employment program
  • Looking for work (only one parent or guardian)
  • Living with a medical condition
  • A reason for care is not required if your child is attending a licensed preschool, or if you have been referred by a Ministry of Children and Family Development or Delegated
  • Aboriginal Agency social worker.

Income

Applications are income tested to determine whether a family qualifies for a funding amount based on their annual income and deductions, or adjustments.

Generally speaking, families that earn up to $111,000 may qualify for funding. Families that earn $111,000+ but have considerable deductions for family size or children who have special needs can also apply.

Find more information and apply here.