Home daycare vs a daycare centre in BC: how to choose

5 min read · facts checked Oct 19, 2026

About a third of the child care programs in Metro Vancouver run in the provider's own home. Licensed home daycares are inspected like centres, but they are smaller and work differently. Group sizes and staffing below come from the province's guide to types of child care.

Two kinds of licensed home daycare

• Licensed family child care: up to 7 children from birth to 12, cared for by the licensee in their home. The licensee must be at least 19, with 20 hours of child care training, first aid and a criminal record check. An ECE certificate isn't required.
• In-home multi-age child care: up to 8 children from birth to 12, and the licensee must be a certified Early Childhood Educator.

How centres compare

A group centre for under-3s can have up to 12 children with 1 educator for every 4, and a 2½ to school age group can have up to 25, with 1 ECE per 8 children plus assistants. Staff hold Infant Toddler Educator, ECE or ECE Assistant certificates.

What to weigh

• Group size: a home daycare's small, mixed-age group feels more like a family, which many parents of babies like.
• Backup care: one provider means closures when they're sick or on holiday. Ask how many closure days they plan each year.
• Hours: some home daycares offer earlier or later hours than centres. Ask about drop-off and pick-up times.
• Cost: both can take part in fee reduction. For 2026-27 the maximum reduction for under-3s is $900 a month in group care and $600 a month in licensed family or in-home care (CCFRI guidelines).
• Training: in-home multi-age licensees are ECEs; licensed family child care providers may not be. Ask about training and experience.

Tip: Don't choose one or the other too early. Applying to both home daycares and centres near you gives you the most chances of an offer.