When to start looking for daycare in Metro Vancouver: a month-by-month timeline

6 min read · facts checked Oct 19, 2026

The honest answer to "when should I start looking for daycare in Vancouver?" is: earlier than feels reasonable. For care under age 3, many families start during pregnancy. Here's a timeline that works for most families planning a return to work after parental leave.

During pregnancy

• Decide roughly when you'll need care. In BC, many families plan around the end of a 12 or 18 month parental leave.
• Map your options: near home, near work, or along the commute. Note which programs take infants (under 18 months) as well as toddlers.
• Apply. Many programs accept applications with a due date instead of a birth date. Being early on a first-come list is the single biggest advantage you can give yourself.

Birth to 6 months

• Send your baby's name and birth date to every program that took your application with a due date.
• Add programs you missed. New centres open regularly, and licensed family daycares change too.
• Look at funding. Check whether programs take part in fee reduction or are $10 a Day sites, and whether your family may qualify for the Affordable Child Care Benefit.

6 to 9 months before your start date

• Check in with each program. Ask where you are on the list and when they expect openings for your child's age.
• Tour the programs you'd be happiest with. Bring a short list of questions (see our tour questions guide).
• Rank your list so you can answer an offer quickly.

3 to 6 months before

• This is when many offers arrive, especially for September starts, when older children move up to kindergarten and spaces shift across every age group.
• Keep your phone close. Offers often have a 24 to 48 hour deadline.
• If nothing has come yet, widen your search: more distance, licensed home daycares, part-time or a later start.

After you accept a space

Tell the other programs, or ask to stay on their list if you'd still move for the right spot. Apply for the Affordable Child Care Benefit before the end of the month care starts, since the province asks families to apply by then.

Tip: September is the busiest month for openings in most programs. If your leave ends in winter or spring, ask programs whether a September start or a gradual entry could work.