BC has some of Canada's strongest demand for childcare — most communities have long waitlists. Here's the realistic path from idea to open doors.
1. Pick your licence type
- Family Child Care — in your own home, up to 7 children (mix-dependent). Lowest startup cost.
- Multi-Age / In-Home Multi-Age — up to 8 children across ages.
- Group Child Care — a centre, licensed per age band (under 36 months / 30 months–school age / school age). Bigger capacity, bigger requirements.
- Preschool — part-day programs for 30 months to school age.
2. Get licensed
Licensing runs through your regional health authority (e.g. Fraser Health, Vancouver Coastal). Expect: an application, floor plans, criminal record checks, first-aid and ECE credentials, health & safety requirements (fencing, sleep arrangements, sanitation), and inspections. Read the Child Care Licensing Regulation early — it's the rulebook for ratios, space (3.7 m² indoor per child is the common figure), and staffing. Check our BC ratio guide and ratio calculator.
3. Budget realistically
- Home-based: often $5k–$20k (safety upgrades, equipment, insurance, fencing).
- Centre: commonly $50k–$250k+ (leasehold improvements, furniture, playground, licensing, staff before revenue).
- Look into ChildCareBC capital funding and operating programs (CCOF, CCFRI) — they materially change the math. See our tuition & funding guide.
4. Set up operations before you open
Policies (illness, late pickup, withdrawal), parent contracts, emergency plans, menus — and your software. Setting up digital enrollment, attendance, daily reports and billing from day one is far easier than migrating later. Model your numbers with the free profitability calculator.
5. Fill your first spots
List on your municipality's childcare registry and the provincial map, create a Google Business Profile, and give parents a professional first impression — a real website and a parent app signal quality the way a tidy classroom does. Word-of-mouth from your first three families is your strongest channel; give them something worth talking about (daily photos and reports do exactly that).
Run your daycare on Mitten — free to start
Mitten does everything in this guide — daily reports, photos, messaging, billing, even payroll prep — free for your first 5 children, then just $20/mo + $2 per child.
Start free — no card needed → See the live demoFrequently asked questions
- How many children can I care for without a licence in BC?
- Unlicensed (registered or unregistered) care in BC is limited to two children or a sibling group, not related to you. Anything more requires a community care facility licence.
- How long does daycare licensing take in BC?
- Plan for several months — facility requirements, health authority review, inspections and staff credentials all take time. Starting the conversation with your health authority’s licensing officer early is the single best accelerator.
- What licence types exist in BC?
- Common ones: Family Child Care (in your home, up to 7 children), Multi-Age Child Care (up to 8), In-Home Multi-Age (up to 8), Group Child Care (centres, by age band), and Preschool. Each has its own ratio, space, and staffing rules.