👩‍👦 Finding Childcare in Victoria

One of the biggest headaches when moving can be finding childcare for your kids. You’re not alone — this is a tough one in Victoria.

 
 

❓FAQ: How childcare works in Victoria

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How much does childcare cost in Victoria?

Anywhere from $200/month - $1,870/month for full-time childcare, for infants - 5 years old. “Full-time” childcare means 5 days/week, typically for 8-9 hours of care per day.

Childcare providers in BC do not have to post their pricing publicly. This is partially why it’s difficult for parents to find childcare that fits their needs.

 

How do I enroll my child in daycare in Victoria?

You most likely will need to put your child down on many waiting lists for many different childcare centres. There is a shortage of childcare openings in Canada and Victoria, BC. Each daycare has its own policy on how they accept children.

  • Many families join waiting lists for multiple childcare centres as soon as they find out they are pregnant. We have a guide on having a baby in Victoria.

  • Some childcare centres offer a waiting list. They may have a form on their website, you may have to email them or you may have to call them to get on the list.

  • If a childcare centre has a waiting list, it is up to them to decide who gets priority for when a spot opens up. Some give priority to families who already have one child at their centre, for instance. Others may choose families who have been in contact with them periodically while on the waiting list.

  • If a childcare centre does not offer a waiting list, the best way to get a spot is to keep in touch with them by email, by phone or by dropping in occasionally to let them know you are interested.

 

Is there one list of all childcare centres in Victoria and the surrounding cities?

No there is not. There are three main sources to find childcare: Vancouver Island Health Authority, a BC Government Map and the CCRR (below).

⚠️ None of these websites list what ages of children the childcare centre accepts, their pricing or their hours. To find that information, you have to go to each childcare centre’s website, or phone or email them.

We’ve created a directory of over 200 childcare centres that list their pricing, what ages they accept, their hours, their website and other publicly available information on our List & Prices: Childcare in Victoria page.

  1. For absolutely every single childcare centre in Victoria: Vancouver Island Health Authority (our government health body) licenses all childcare centres, and they have a searchable directory. Search by city or by centre name. healthspace.ca/clients/viha/viha_website.nsf/CCFL-Main?OpenView

  2. For most, but not all childcare centres in Victoria: The BC government created a searchable map, but this excludes a lot of childcare centres in Victoria. https://maps.gov.bc.ca/ess/hm/ccf/

  3. For help finding care, contact the CCRR (Child Care Resource & Referral) childcarevictoria.org

 

Do most childcare centres have a website?

No. Most of our childcare centres do not have a website. Some have a Facebook page. You usually have to phone or email each one to find out what ages they accept, their hours, their pricing and if they offer a waitlist or not.

Find all the childcare centres, their phone number & email through the Vancouver Island Health Authority directory (search by city or by childcare name): healthspace.ca/clients/viha/viha_website.nsf/CCFL-Main?OpenView

 

What is the waitlist time for childcare in Victoria?

It usually takes 1 - 2 years for a family to secure a childcare spot in Victoria, according to this 2020 report by the City of Victoria Child Care Solutions Working Group.

Many families report through Facebook and other social media sites that they waited 1 - 4 years for a childcare spot.

 

How do families manage childcare if they cannot get a childcare spot?

This is not ideal. But, there are different ways families in Victoria care for their children when they cannot get a spot at a childcare centre:

  • Part-time childcare: If you cannot get a full-time, 5-day-a-week daycare spot, consider signing up for part-time childcare. If the childcare centre has a spot for 3 full days a week, the parent will be able to work 3 days a week, and have to spend 2 days a week at home.

  • Leave the workforce: One parent leaves the workforce and cares for their child or children until the child enters Kindergarten (5 years old).

  • Grandparents: A grandparent cares for the child or children during the day while the parent works. Some families pay the grandparent(s), while others do not. This is a very personal decision that varies from family to family.

  • Nanny or nanny-share: The family hires a nanny or babysitter to care for the children in their home. Another option is to share a nanny with another family, so the nanny cares for your child & the other family’s child.

  • Trading childcare days: One parent may work part-time (2-3 days a week). On the days they work, they may have their children at a friend’s home, who also works part-time and has children. When that friend works, this parent will care for their children and their friend’s children.

 

Is there a childcare shortage in other Canadian cities?

Yes. There is a national childcare shortage across Canada. It varies from city to city by how much, but from Montreal to Toronto to Vancouver, we do not have enough childcare openings for the number of children.

 

Does the government have childcare centres?

Not really. Our childcare system primarily consists of privately-run childcare centres. The BC Government administers a program of child care subsidy payments that most of us qualify for. This is called “The Affordable Child Care Benefit”. Here’s the official site: gov.bc.ca/gov/content/family-social-supports/caring-for-young-children/child-care-funding/child-care-benefit

 📋 Types of Childcare in Victoria

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Especially for expats and internationals new to Canada, our childcare system can be shockingly expensive and hard to tell what’s going on.

 $10 a day childcare

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This is a childcare program that the Province is rolling out to select child care centres in BC. Parents pay $10/day, for full time care, which is $200 /month. But where is the list of providers? The list is here - it’s called “Universal Child Care Prototype” (confusing title): www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/family-social-supports/caring-for-young-children/running-daycare-preschool/universal-child-care-prototype-sites

 👩‍💻 Websites for finding childcare in Victoria

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Child Benefits

This is an important part of life in Canada. We receive monthly payments for each child under 18 years old. We wrote a section on this: Child Benefits

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How much is each daycare per month?

It’s very hard to find out how much daycare is. Luckily for you, we did the research. And made a list.

LIST & PRICES: CHILDCARE IN VICTORIA