Finding daycare in British Columbia can be quite challenging due to the limited availability of spaces. With demand far outstripping supply, it’s crucial for parents to plan ahead. Joining waitlists as early as possible is essential to improving your chances of finding a spot, as wait times can be long and unpredictable. Early action can make a significant difference in securing the childcare support you need. Below, you will find more information about different types of childcare, as well as resources for securing childcare.
For information on childcare and schools in Kelowna near the UBC Okanagan campus, please visit Relocating to Kelowna.
Different Types of Childcare
Licensed Childcare:
Licensed child care is a highly regulated and monitored service that prioritizes children's safety, education, and well-being. Staff are required to have early childhood education, undergo background checks, and maintain certifications. The daycare follows a structured curriculum, maintains detailed records for each child, and adheres to strict staff-to-child ratios. Physical or emotional punishment is prohibited, and emergency preparedness protocols are in place to ensure a secure environment for all children.
Registered License-Not-Required Child Care:
This care type is registered with a Childcare Resource and Referral Centre but not licensed. Providers are over 19, have a criminal background check, basic child training, 20 hours of experience, a first-aid certificate, and group liability insurance. Their home must pass safety inspections. They can care for up to 2 children from the same sibling group who are not related to them, covering ages birth to 12 years old.
License-Not-Required Child Care:
Similar to registered care, but with no government inspections or qualifications required. Parents are responsible for ensuring their child’s safety. Two children or a sibling group who are not related to them is the maximum group size for this type of care.
In-child’s-own-home:
Unlicensed home child care is when parents hire a nanny or babysitter to care for their child in their own home. This care is exclusively for the family’s children and cannot include children from other families. The caregiver must not be a live-in relative.
There are no legal requirements to monitor this type of care, and caregivers aren’t required to have formal qualifications or training. Parents are responsible for screening and hiring the caregiver, who becomes their employee. As employers, parents must make regular payments to Employment Insurance (EI) and the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and register with Revenue Canada and WorkSafeBC.
UBC Childcare Services
UBC Childcare Services offers early childhood education and care for families on the UBC Vancouver campus and beyond. It serves over 750 children across 30 licensed facilities, catering to children from infancy to school age. With more than 250 staff members, the centre emphasizes learning, development, and community connection. Families can apply year-round, and the centre operates on a waitlist system; priority admission can be found on their website.
All faculty and staff may apply for the UBC childcare waitlist. The waitlist tend to be long, and we suggest that you inquire early about available space.
Provost Priority Childcare Placement Program (PCPP)
In an effort to improve timing of access into on-campus childcare, this supplementary Priority Childcare Placement Program (PCPP) provides a limited number of tenure-stream faculty members with higher placement on the UBC Childcare waitlist to support strategic recruitment and retention priorities. Department Heads or Deans may recommend tenure-stream faculty members for this program by completing the application below. Applications are forwarded to the Deputy Provost for review and consideration.
UBC Childcare charges an additional $150 monthly premium on top of regular childcare rates for daycare spots secured through the PCPP. The supporting Faculty or Department is required to pay this additional monthly premium for each PCPP-assisted childcare spot for two years.
PCPP spots will only be considered for children under the age of 5; school-aged children are not eligible for this program. While both recruitment and retention applications are accepted, recruitment applications will be prioritized. Retention applications will only be considered once all recruitment applications have been allotted a spot.
The application portal is now closed. Please note that applications are open twice a year (in Spring and Fall) for a period of one month. The next round of applications for spots in the second half of 2025 will be open from March 24, 2025, to April 25, 2025.
Contact UBC Housing, Immigration and Relocation Services at pcpp.info@ubc.ca if you have questions about the PCPP and application process.
Other On-campus Childcare Options
- University Hill is a licensed non-profit preschool that offers a play-based program, which primarily follows the Reggio Emilia approach to teaching. It includes specific activities of the Montessori school as well, referred to as "exercises of practical life". Their programs run from September to June and welcome 3-year-old and 4-year-old students.
- Berwick Child Development Centre offers licensed childcare spaces to children ages 3-5 year-round in an integrated setting with typical children as well as children with special needs. Classes are offered from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. with extended day options from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. as well as 2 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. Berwick focuses on growing communication and social skills in a rich and engaging learning environment. Priority placements are given to children of UBC faculty, staff, students, or University Neighbourhoods Association (UNA) residents. Applications for supported special needs spaces at Berwick should refer to the Vancouver Supported Child Development Program.
- Vista Point YMCA Child Care Centre has been made possible through a partnership between the YMCA, the UNA, and UBC. This centre has been built with the expressed purpose of addressing childcare needs for UBC’s growing residential community, with priority for families who do not work or study at UBC. It is intended to complement the services provided by UBC Childcare Services, who give priority to families who work or study at UBC.
- Wesbrook Childcare Centre accommodates 49 childcare spaces for infants, toddlers, and preschool-age children. The facility is the first building to meet the UBC Green Building Action Plan strategies in energy, water, materials and resources, biodiversity, health and wellbeing, quality, climate adaption, and place and experience. The center is managed by the UNA and operated by the YMCA.
Elementary and Secondary Schools
The public school system in British Columbia offers education from Kindergarten to Grade 12, with a focus on student-centered learning and inclusivity. Schools are divided into elementary, middle, and secondary levels. The curriculum emphasizes literacy, numeracy, creativity, and critical thinking while incorporating Indigenous perspectives. BC also provides programs for French Immersion, special education, and extracurricular activities. Public schooling is funded by the government, and students attend schools based on their residential catchment area. The system is overseen by the Ministry of Education.
Please visit your local school district website for information on the registration process, school directories, catchment areas and specialized programs and services.
- Vancouver
- Richmond
- Burnaby
- New Westminster
- Coquitlam / Port Coquitlam/ Port Moody
- North Vancouver
- West Vancouver
- Surrey
- Langley
Public Schools on UBCV Campus
There are three public schools on UBC campus that are within the Vancouver School district:
There is no guarantee that your child will be placed in your preferred school.
To register for public schools on campus, refer to Registering for Schools in Vancouver.
Private School
Private schools in British Columbia provide families with diverse educational choices, including faith-based, Montessori, and other specialized programs. These institutions typically feature smaller class sizes and different curricula compared to public schools, which may appeal to families seeking alternative educational experiences for their children. Tuition rates vary, and admission processes can differ by school, often requiring applications and assessments. Families considering private education should weigh the benefits and costs to determine the best fit for their child's needs and educational goals.
Registering for Schools in Vancouver
Children are required to register online through the Newcomer Welcome Centre (NWC), if one of the following criteria applies to them:
- Grade 1 to Grade 12 students born in Canada, and who DO NOT speak English as their home language.
- Kindergarten to Grade 12 students born outside Canada, regardless of language spoken at home.
- Parent/legal guardian is neither a Canadian Citizen or a Permanent Resident. This applies even if the child was born in Canada.
- Former students, who meet the criteria listed above, who were withdrawn from the VSB and have returned.
If your child was born in Canada, English is their first language, and none of the criteria indicated above apply, you will need to register on the VSB Apply Now portal.
Required Documents:
The following documents are needed for the online registration to determine eligibility:
- Proof of British Columbia residency;
- The original birth certificate of the child;
- Applicable Immigration/Citizenship/Permanent Resident Documentation;
- Immunization Records, if available;
- Most recent report card, if available.
Documents that are not in English or French need to be translated in English by a certified translator. Please visit VSB for a comprehensive list of required documents.
Registration process:
After you complete the online registration process, you will be required to appear in person at the NWC with your child and your original documents. Use the confirmation email you received, after you submitted your online registration, to book an in-person appointment with a Registrar. You will need to present your original supporting documents during this meeting. Missing documents will delay the process.
Once your registration has been reviewed by a Registrar, and your child is assessed, if necessary, the completed registration package and the assessment results will be sent directly to the catchment/placement school. The school will contact you shortly after to discuss the next steps.
School Placement:
Your child will be placed at your neighbourhood school if you live within that school's boundary and there is space and a program available. If your catchment school is full, the school will find a place for your child at the next closest school that has space and a program available.
An elementary school student can transfer to the neighbourhood school when space becomes available. Secondary school students can only transfer to the neighbourhood school at the end of the school year, provided there is space, resources and a program available to accommodate the student.
If you arrive in the summer and your children are starting school in September, you may not find out the school they have been allocated to until late August.
Foreign nationals and international fees:
New UBC faculty members who are not Canadian citizens or permanent residents can apply for either a study permit or a visitor record for each of their children. The documents will be attached to the children’s passports, with marked dates that they can legally reside in Canada.
Dates usually match the dates set out in the faculty member’s work permit. Preschool children do not need a study permit and can obtain a visitor record or a stamp in their passport on entry to Canada.
Your work permit must be valid for a full year in order to register your children in school without paying international fees.
Additional Resources
- Visit ChildCareBC for more information on childcare services available in Vancouver.
- Kids & Co. gives faculty and staff access to emergency childcare as well as priority placement. UBC is a member of this national childcare company that has several locations in the Lower Mainland and across B.C.
- Westcoast Child Care Resource Centre provides information, referrals, training and resources to families and care givers. Initiatives include the active recruitment of “license not required” caregivers (LNRs) around Vancouver and the accessibility to toy library services.
- The Development Disabilities Association (DDA) provides over 50 community-based programs and services for all children (including special needs), youths, and adults. UBC has partnered with the DDA to enhance the availability of child care for faculty and staff in five of their centres.
- Nannies on Call provides reliable quality childcare 24/7. Nannies have two years childcare experience, are pre-screened, and are first aid certified.
- The Affordable Childcare Benefit is a monthly payment to help eligible families with the cost of childcare. Factors like income, family size, and type of care determine how much support families can get. Families need to renew their applications every year.
- The UNA provides community centres, parks, playgrounds, sports fields, and community gardens throughout UBC’s residential neighbourhoods.
- Wesbrook Community Centre is located in the heart of Wesbrook Village, a resident-focused recreation in the UBC community. The community centre includes studios, gymnasiums, fitness centres, recycling centre and parking services.
- Located at Hawthorn Place, the Old Barn Community Centre provides a social, recreational and community gathering place for residents and students on campus. The Old Barn Community Centre houses meeting rooms, social spaces, a fitness centre and the Bean Around the World coffee shop.
- UBC Camps is a leading provider of high-quality camps for children ages 3-17. They offer a vast selection of summer camps, including adventure, art and music, enrichment, and sport and recreation programming.
- UBC Recreation is committed to providing all individuals on campus with welcoming, accessible, and enjoyable physical recreation opportunities. Some programs offered include the Intercultural Physical Activity Series, Move More, Learn More and Walking Programs.
- StrongStart is a free drop-in program offered to parents and caregivers with children ages zero to five years old. StrongStart program emphasizes learning through play, language and positive social interactions. StrongStart provides a rich learning environment, designed for early learning development. Qualified early childhood educators lead learning activities where children find opportunities to make friends and interact with others of similar ages. The overall learning experience is shared as parents and caregivers attend with their children and are encouraged to get involved in activities like telling stories, playing games and serving healthy snacks. English as a first language is not necessary to attend a StrongStart program.