BC Grandparent Childcare Subsidy: Affordable Child Care Benefit for Kinship Caregivers

Two Programs That Stack Together

British Columbia runs two childcare affordability programs, and grandparents raising grandchildren can use both simultaneously. The first reduces what the daycare charges everyone. The second subsidizes what you personally pay, based on your income.

The Child Care Fee Reduction Initiative (CCFRI) cuts fees directly at participating licensed facilities. It applies automatically — the provider claims it, not you. If the daycare or preschool participates, the sticker price is already lower before you pay anything.

The Affordable Child Care Benefit (ACCB) is an income-tested monthly subsidy that further reduces your out-of-pocket cost at licensed childcare, preschool, or approved in-home care. This one you do apply for, and the amount depends on your family's net income.

Who Qualifies as a Grandparent Caregiver

The ACCB is income-tested and applies to eligible childcare arrangements. Check the current ACCB rules for your family and care arrangement before applying; a CCB award alone does not establish ACCB eligibility. Whether you're caring informally, under an EFP agreement, or with an FLA guardianship order, check the program's own requirements.

The child living with you and your responsibility for childcare costs may be relevant, but ACCB eligibility is determined under its own income and childcare rules, not the CRA's primary-caregiver test.

How Much the ACCB Covers

The subsidy is income-tested, and the amount depends on family income and the eligible childcare arrangement. Check the current BC application tool for the applicable threshold and estimate before budgeting for a specific amount.

Receiving CPP, OAS, or GIS does not by itself determine the subsidy amount. Use the program's own income calculation; CRA treatment of CCB and BCFB does not establish how ACCB counts those payments.

The ACCB can be used for:

• Licensed daycare centres and family childcare
• Licensed preschool programs
• Before- and after-school care at licensed facilities
• Approved in-home care providers (registered licence-not-required)

EFP Caregivers Get Extra Childcare Support

If you're on an Extended Family Program agreement, MCFD can provide supplementary childcare funding on top of the ACCB. This is assessed on a case-by-case basis and is meant to cover gaps — for example, if you're a working grandparent and the ACCB doesn't fully cover the hours you need.

Ask your MCFD social worker about childcare assistance when you review your EFP Written Plan. The supplementary funding is separate from your monthly EFP maintenance payment ($1,549.20 or $1,726.33 per month) and doesn't reduce it.

How to Apply

Apply for the ACCB through BC's My Family Services Portal. Have your childcare enrollment details ready, and confirm the current document requirements in the portal.

Confirm the current processing time, payment arrangement, and renewal requirements through the portal before relying on a start date or amount.

If you're navigating childcare alongside EFP maintenance, CCB, and provincial benefits, the BC Kinship Financial Help Guide walks through each benefit and how they interact, with application tracking worksheets for each.

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