The BC Affordable Child Care Benefit (ACCB) helps families with incomes up to about $111,000 pay for child care. It’s worth up to $1,250 a month per child, depending on the type of care, your child’s age and your family’s income.
In most cases the money goes straight to your child care provider, so there’s no payment date to watch for. You just get a smaller bill. The main exception is care in your own home, such as a nanny, where you’re paid instead.
How the ACCB is paid
Once approved, you and your provider each get a benefit plan showing your monthly amount and its start and end dates.
Daycare, preschool or a caregiver’s home: your provider is paid
If your child goes to a licensed centre, a family daycare or a caregiver’s home, the provider claims each month and is paid. You pay the rest of the fee.
Licensed and registered providers can claim from the 15th of the month before care. Other providers can claim from the 7th of the month of care. Either way, you don’t get a deposit.
Care in your own home: you’re paid
If a nanny or babysitter looks after your child in your home, you submit the monthly claim form (CF1704a) and pay the caregiver yourself. You can send it by email, fax or mail starting on the 7th of the month of care, so March 7 for March.
B.C. doesn’t publish fixed payment dates; you’re paid once your claim is processed. Use direct deposit, since mail and cheques can take several weeks.
Not the same as the BC Family Benefit. The CRA deposit around the 20th of each month is the BC Family Benefit, paid with the Canada child benefit (see the BC Family Benefit payment dates). The ACCB comes from B.C.’s Ministry of Education and Child Care, not the CRA.
ACCB rates for 2026
These are the most you can get per child each month, from B.C.’s rates page (last updated March 25, 2026). You get the full amount only if your income is low enough and your child is in full-time care. The benefit is never more than what your provider charges.
| Age of child | Licensed group care | Licensed family care | Registered licence-not-required | Licence-not-required |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 19 months | $1,250 | $1,000 | $600 | $438 |
| 19 to 36 months | $1,060 | $1,000 | $600 | $404 |
| 37 months to school age | $550 | $550 | $550 | $354 |
| School age, full day (not in school) | $415 | $415 | $415 | $354 |
| Before and after school | $210 | $210 | $210 | $210 |
“School age” means your child turns 5 on or before December 31 of that school year. A licensed preschool (29 months to school age) pays up to $225 a month.
Care in your child’s own home has its own, lower rates:
| Child in care at home | Maximum per month |
|---|---|
| First child, under 19 months | $394 |
| First child, 19 months or older | $318 |
| Second child, under 19 months | $198 |
| Second child 19 months or older, and each extra child | $147 |
| School-age child, before and after school only | $210 ($147 if a younger sibling is also in care at home) |
A child with support needs who needs extra help may get up to $150 more a month, as long as the total isn’t more than the fee.
Income limits
Generally, families earning up to $111,000 may qualify. Families earning more can still apply if they have large deductions for family size or support needs.
B.C. starts with your family’s yearly income from your CRA notice of assessment. It then takes off:
- $2,000 for each person in your family after the first two
- $3,000 for each child with support needs
You may get the maximum benefit if this adjusted income is at or below:
- $45,000 for licensed child care
- $39,000 for registered licence-not-required care
- $24,000 for licence-not-required care or care in your child’s home
Above these amounts, you get a partial benefit that gets smaller as income rises. Part-time care is prorated. The easiest way to see your number is the official ACCB estimator. It’s a guide, not a guarantee.
Using the ACCB with $10 a Day and fee reduction
Yes, they stack.
- Child Care Fee Reduction Initiative: participating licensed centres take up to $900 a month off the fee for a child under 3 in group care. You don’t apply, and it isn’t income-tested.
- $10 a Day ChildCareBC centres: full-time care costs about $10 a day, or $200 a month. You don’t apply to the program, but getting a spot depends on the centre’s waitlist.
The ACCB then covers part or all of what’s left: your provider can claim your fee minus the fee reduction. At a $10 a Day centre, a lower-income family’s ACCB may cover much or all of the $200. B.C. says some families “may pay little to nothing at all.” Check which centres take part on the fee reduction page.
Who is eligible
The parent who applies must live in B.C., have a current B.C. address, and be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, Convention refugee or protected person. Your spouse doesn’t have to meet this rule.
You also need a qualifying reason for care. If you have a spouse, you’ll report their reason too. Reasons include:
- Working or self-employed
- Going to school
- Taking part in an employment program, such as the Single Parent Employment Initiative for parents on income or disability assistance
- Looking for work (only one parent can use this reason)
- A medical condition that makes it hard to care for your child
- Your child attends a licensed preschool
- Care arranged or recommended by a child welfare social worker
Maternity or parental leave is not a qualifying reason. Care by a relative who lives with you, licensed occasional or drop-in care, and recreational care aren’t covered.
How to apply
- Choose a provider. Fill out the Child Care Arrangement form (CF2798) together and both sign it.
- Gather one piece of government ID for each family member, plus proof of your reason for care: a work schedule, school timetable, job-search journal or Medical Condition form.
- Apply online through My Family Services using a Basic BCeID. Your spouse gets an email code to add their details and consent to an income check with the CRA.
- Upload everything and submit within 60 days of starting.
Online applications take about 10 business days. Mailing or faxing the paper application (CF2900) takes three weeks or more. Missing documents cause most delays.
Your benefit starts on the first of the month your complete application arrives, so for care starting October 1, apply by October 31. Until you’re approved, you pay your provider yourself.
For help, call the Child Care Service Centre at 1-888-338-6622 (option 1), weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. PT. Interpreters are free.
Renewing and reporting changes
Renew every year, and whenever your reason for care changes. Do it about 30 days before your plan ends (the date is on your eligibility letter in My Family Services). Renewals can’t be done by phone.
Report a new address, job, relationship status, reason for care or family size through My Family Services or by phone. A new provider means a new Child Care Arrangement form. Income changes are picked up from the CRA if you gave consent. See reporting changes.
Is it worth applying?
For most families under $111,000 with a qualifying reason, yes. Applying is free.
Example: A single parent earning $40,000 works full time. Her 2-year-old is in full-time group care at a centre that charges $1,400 a month and takes part in fee reduction. The fee reduction takes off $900, leaving $500.
With a family of two, there’s no family-size deduction, so her adjusted income of $40,000 is under the $45,000 limit for licensed care. The maximum for her child’s age is $1,060, but the ACCB can’t exceed her $500 fee. It could cover all of it, saving up to $6,000 a year.
A couple with two children earning $100,000 has an adjusted income of $96,000 and might get a small partial benefit, or none. Try the estimator before you decide.
Common questions
When is the ACCB paid in 2026?
In most cases there are no dates for parents, because your provider is paid directly. With in-home care, you’re paid after your monthly claim is processed.
Does the CRA pay the Affordable Child Care Benefit?
No. The ACCB comes from the B.C. government, usually to your provider. The CRA pays the BC Family Benefit.
Is the ACCB paid when my child is sick or on vacation?
Yes, for up to two weeks in a month. Vacation is also capped at four weeks a calendar year.
Can I get the ACCB on maternity leave?
No. Maternity and parental leave aren’t qualifying reasons. If you already get the benefit, report your leave right away.
Is the ACCB the same as the child care subsidy?
Yes. The ACCB replaced B.C.’s old Child Care Subsidy. Since September 1, 2024, its rules come from the Early Learning and Child Care Act and Regulation.
