BC Affordable Child Care Benefit (ACCB) calculator, 2026
The Affordable Child Care Benefit is British Columbia’s income-tested help with child care fees. It pays up to $1,250 a month for a child under 19 months in licensed group care, and less as children get older. Families with an adjusted income up to $45,000 get the full amount. Above that, it steps down. It holds at 72.8% of the maximum from $60,000 to $80,000 and reaches nothing at $111,000.
It is not the only discount. At a centre in the Child Care Fee Reduction Initiative (CCFRI), the reduction comes off your fee first, automatically. ACCB is paid on what is left. A family with $75,000 of adjusted income and a toddler at a $1,785 centre pays $113.32 a month once both apply.
Rates checked against gov.bc.ca on 2026-09-25 (rates page updated 2026-03-25, eligibility page updated 2026-09-14). An estimate, not a decision: the province decides eligibility and the amount.
Maximum ACCB by age and type of care
Full-time licensed care, per child, per month.
| Child’s age | Licensed group care | Licensed family care |
|---|---|---|
| Under 19 months | $1,250 | $1,000 |
| 19 to 36 months | $1,060 | $1,000 |
| 37 months to school age | $550 | $550 |
| School age, full day | $415 | $415 |
| Before and after school | $210 | $210 |
How much of the maximum you get
By adjusted family income. The last column is the monthly benefit for a toddler (19 to 36 months) in group care, before it is capped at what you still owe.
| Adjusted income | Share of maximum | Toddler, group care |
|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | 100% | $1,060 |
| $45,000 | 100% | $1,060 |
| $50,000 | 90.9% | $964 |
| $55,000 | 81.9% | $868 |
| $60,000 | 72.8% | $772 |
| $70,000 | 72.8% | $772 |
| $80,000 | 72.8% | $772 |
| $90,000 | 49.3% | $523 |
| $100,000 | 25.8% | $274 |
| $111,000 | 0% | $0 |
What a family actually pays
One toddler, full time (5 days, 9 hours a day), at a CCFRI centre charging $1,785 a month, BC’s typical toddler fee.
At $40,000 the family pays nothing, because the full $1,060 benefit is more than the $885.00 left after CCFRI and ACCB never pays more than the fee that remains.
| Adjusted income | CCFRI | ACCB | You pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | −$900.00 | −$885.00 | $0.00 a month |
| $75,000 | −$900.00 | −$771.68 | $113.32 a month |
| $100,000 | −$900.00 | −$273.82 | $611.18 a month |
How adjusted income is worked out
Start from your family’s annual income. Take off $2,000 for each family member after the first two, and $3,000 for each child with support needs, which puts a family of five with $115,000 of income at $109,000 and back under the $111,000 line. Use that adjusted figure in the calculator below.
Run your own numbers
Set to British Columbia. Change the age, the care type, the days and whether the centre is in CCFRI or is a $10 a Day site.
How to apply
ACCB is not automatic. Apply through the province’s ACCB page once you have a licensed space, and apply again each year. The province also runs its own estimator. Its answer is the one that counts.
Questions
How much is the Affordable Child Care Benefit in BC?
Up to $1,250 a month for a child under 19 months in licensed group care, $1,060 for 19 to 36 months, $550 from 37 months to school age, and $210 for care before and after school. Licensed family child care pays up to $1,000 for children under 3. Those are ceilings. Adjusted income sets the share a family actually gets.
What income qualifies for ACCB?
Families with an adjusted annual income up to $45,000 get the full amount for licensed care, and above that the benefit falls to 72.8% of the maximum by $60,000, holds there until $80,000 and reaches nothing at $111,000. Adjusted income is your family's annual income less $2,000 for each family member after the first two and $3,000 for each child with support needs. So a larger family can qualify above $111,000.
Does ACCB stack with the CCFRI fee reduction?
Yes. CCFRI comes off the fee first, at the centre, with no application, and ACCB is then paid against whatever is left, never more than that. At a $1,785 toddler fee, a family with $75,000 of adjusted income gets $900.00 of CCFRI and about $771.68 of ACCB, and pays $113.32 a month.
Comparing provinces? The seven-province cost calculator runs the same engine for Ontario, Quebec, Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia. For what BC centres charge before any discount, see the BC daycare cost guide.
Sources: gov.bc.ca · bclaws.gov.bc.ca · gov.bc.ca