Licensed centre, family daycare or licence-not-required? Types of child care in BC explained

5 min read · facts checked Oct 19, 2026

When you search for daycare in BC you'll see several kinds of care side by side. They differ in group size, staffing and oversight, so it's worth knowing which is which. The figures below come from the province's guide to types of child care.

Licensed care

Licensed programs are inspected by regional health authorities and must meet rules on health and safety, staffing, space, ratios and programming. In Metro Vancouver that's Vancouver Coastal Health or Fraser Health, depending on where the program is.

• Group care, under 3: centre-based care from birth to 36 months, in groups of up to 12.
• Group care, 2½ to school age: centre-based groups of up to 25.
• Multi-age care: mixed ages from birth to 12, up to 8 children with an Early Childhood Educator.
• In-home multi-age: up to 8 children in the provider's home; the licensee is an Early Childhood Educator.
• Licensed family child care: up to 7 children in the provider's home.
• Preschool: part-day programs for 2½ to school age, usually 1 to 4 hours a day in the school year.
• School age: before and after school care.

Licence-not-required care

A licence-not-required provider can care for only two children (or one sibling group) who aren't related to them. They aren't inspected and don't have to meet licensing standards. Some are registered with a local Child Care Resource and Referral centre, which adds some checks; ask the provider and the centre what registration involved.

Which is right for you?

• Centres usually have longer hours, several staff and more spaces, so lists move but can be long.
• Licensed home daycares are smaller and often mix ages, which many families of infants prefer. Ask about backup care if the provider is sick.
• Preschool is a great fit for 3 and 4 year olds, but it's part-day, so it rarely covers a full workday on its own.

Tip: On Daycare Discoverer every program is labelled with its type, so a licensed home daycare is never mixed up with a centre, and licence-not-required care is always marked as not licensed.