Before and after school care in Vancouver, Burnaby and Surrey

Why you should apply early

Before- and after-school care is the hardest part of starting school for many working parents. Spaces are limited, and most programs are full before the school year starts.

Families already in a program usually keep their spot, so few spaces open each year. The City of Surreysource ↗ says children in its programs "automatically retain their spot" for the next school year. Maple Ridge's Active Kids Clubsource ↗ says all its locations are full for 2026–27. In Richmond, Tomorrow's Topkidssource ↗ says all but two of its school-age programs are full.

Some deadlines come early. Tomorrow's Topkidssource ↗ gives sibling priority only if you apply by December 31 of the year before. City of Richmond out-of-school caresource ↗ for 2026–27 opened in early April 2026.

There's usually no single list for your district. You apply to each program, and each keeps its own waitlist. Start looking in the fall or winter before kindergarten, at the same time as kindergarten registration. Many waitlists accept names even earlier.

How school-age care works in BC

Licensedsource ↗ school-age care is for children from kindergarten to age 12. Programs usually run from about 7 or 7:30 a.m. until school starts, and from dismissal until about 6 p.m. Many pick children up from class or walk kindergarten children over.

Licensed programs are inspected by the regional health authority (how licensing workssource ↗). Staff must be at least 19, with 20 hours of child care training, first aid and a criminal record check. There's one adult for every 12 children in kindergarten and Grade 1, and one for every 15 from Grade 2 up.

Many programs are on school grounds, in a classroom, a portable or a building next to the school. A school district usually provides the space (VSB examplesource ↗), and an outside operator runs the program: a nonprofit society, the YMCAsource ↗, a city or community association, or a private company. A few districts run small programs themselves.

Recreational care is different. These are city or community centre after-school programs for school-age children. They're allowed without a child care licence but must follow staffing ratios. They're often cheaper, but they can't get the Affordable Child Care Benefitsource ↗.

Unlicensed caresource ↗ is also legal. A caregiver without a licence can look after up to two children (or one sibling group) who aren't related to them. A nanny can look after your own children at home. Neither is inspected, so checking references is up to you.

Pro-D days, winter break and spring break vary by program. Some city programs in Richmond include Pro-D days and school breaks. City of Surrey programs don't run on non-instructional days. At the YMCAsource ↗, school breaks need separate registration. Summer is usually a separate day camp. Ask before you sign up.

Costs and help with fees

Each operator sets its own fees. As examples: the City of Richmondsource ↗ lists $541.65 a month for before and after care at its community centres in 2026–27. Maple Ridge's Active Kids Clubsource ↗ (after school only) costs $16.77 a day for kindergarten and $20.68 a day for Grade 1 and up, after the fee reduction.

Child Care Fee Reduction Initiative (CCFRI)source ↗. Most licensed providers take part. The fee reduction comes off your monthly bill, so you don't apply, and it isn't income-tested. The maximum reduction for full-time care is $320 a month in kindergarten, and $115 a month for Grade 1 to age 12 in group care ($145 in family or in-home care).

Before- and after-school care is part-time, so the reduction is smaller. Children in care four hours or less a day get 50% of the full-day rate, and fewer than five days a week is pro-rated further. Use the Province's fee reduction estimatorsource ↗ to check a program.

Affordable Child Care Benefit (ACCB)source ↗. This is income-tested, and you apply to the Province. Families earning up to $111,000 may qualify, and you need a reason for care, such as work or school. For licensed care around the school day, the maximum is $210 a monthsource ↗. Recreational programs aren't eligible. Apply before the end of the month you need care.

$10 a Day ChildCareBCsource ↗ is mostly for children under 6. Some $10 a Day centres also have school-age spaces, but the program focuses on younger children.

What's changing: more care run by school districts

In fall 2025, BC passed the School Amendment Actsource ↗. It lets school districts run child care themselves, for children of all ages, including on Pro-D days and during winter, spring and summer breaks. It doesn't require districts to do it.

In August 2026, the Province announcedsource ↗ about 1,200 new before- and after-school spaces on school grounds in 22 districts, expected to open over the following year. In Metro Vancouver they include Tyee, Lord Beaconsfield and Captain James Cook in Vancouver, Confederation Park in Burnaby, City Centre and Kathleen McNeely in Richmond, Mary Hill and Eagle Ridge in Coquitlam, and Peace Arch and Theresa Clarke in Surrey.

The Province also said districts could apply this fall for funding to start their own board-operated school-age programs. Expect more district-run programs over the next two years. For now, most care on school grounds is still run by outside operators.

When to apply in each district

Vancouver (SD39): Programs run in most elementary schools (VSB child caresource ↗), operated by outside groups such as YMCA Kids Clubsource ↗, community centre associations and nonprofit societies. There's no central waitlist. On your school's website, go to Families, then Before and After School Care, to find the operator and how to join its waitlist. The Westcoast Child Care Resource Centresource ↗ can help you search.

Burnaby (SD41): Operators on school landsource ↗ include Burnaby Neighbourhood Housesource ↗, Lower Mainland Purpose Societysource ↗, Burnaby Family Lifesource ↗, Puddle Splasherssource ↗, YMCA, BACIsource ↗ and others. The district says to contact providers directly for registration and waitlists. No district-wide date is published.

Richmond (SD38): All providers on school grounds are independent (operator listsource ↗). The largest include Tomorrow's Topkidssource ↗ and YMCA Kids Clubsource ↗. Apply to each one. Tomorrow's Topkids gives sibling priority to applications received by December 31 of the year before. City of Richmond community centressource ↗ (Cambie, Hamilton, South Arm, West Richmond) also run licensed out-of-school care for nearby schools. Their 2026–27 registration opened online in early April 2026, and waitlists don't carry over to the next year.

Surrey (SD36): Most programs are run by independent operators, including the City of Surreysource ↗, YMCA and nonprofits. The district also runs two programs. The district's operator listsource ↗ shows who runs care at each school. For City of Surrey programs (11 schools), current families keep their spot, and new families email the site to ask about space or waitlists. Your child must attend the host school.

Coquitlam (SD43, including Port Coquitlam and Port Moody): The district lets outside operators run care on school property, chosen by request for proposals (SD43 proceduresource ↗). We couldn't find a list of operators on the district's website. Ask your school office who runs care there, or contact the Tri-Cities Child Care Resource and Referralsource ↗ program. No district-wide date is published.

North Vancouver (SD44): North Shore Neighbourhood Housesource ↗ runs Kids' Clubs at nine schools, including Capilano, Lynn Valley, Queen Mary and the new Cloverley. You apply online, and the waitlist is not first come, first served: siblings come first, and your child must attend that school. At other schools, ask the school office who runs care. No application date is published.

West Vancouver (SD45): Every elementary school has licensed care, run by outside providers such as Hollyburn Out of School Care Society (PJ Kids Club)source ↗ and Saplingssource ↗. The district's Out-of-School Care pagesource ↗ lists the provider and contact for each school. Apply to the provider directly.

New Westminster (SD40): Westminster Children's After School Society (WCASS)source ↗ runs 10 programs at district schoolssource ↗. Join its online waitlist. It's free, and it isn't first come, first served: siblings and children moving up from another WCASS program come first. You must confirm your interest once a year. The district also runs a small after-school pilot at Lord Tweedsmuirsource ↗ for its own students, with kindergarten children first.

Delta (SD37): Care at schools is run by outside operators, listed on each school's website. The City of Delta's Awesome Afterschoolsource ↗ program (kindergarten to Grade 6) runs at recreation centres for some nearby schools. You can register any time if there's space. The district's Seamless Day pilot at Sunshine Hills was funded only until June 2025.

Langley (SD35): Each school's website lists the operators that serve it, and you contact them directly. The district runs before- and after-school care at Parkside Centennialsource ↗; it's full for 2026–27, with a waitlist. Township of Langley's Active Beyond the Bellsource ↗ is an after-school recreation program, not licensed care. Its 2026–27 registration opened April 28 and 30, 2026, with priority for current families and their siblings.

Maple Ridge–Pitt Meadows (SD42): 15 school sites have licensed care, run by independent operators. The district's child care pagesource ↗ lists the operator at each school. The City of Maple Ridge's Active Kids Clubsource ↗ (after school only, four schools) took 2026–27 registrations first come, first served by email time. All four locations are now full.

If you're waitlisted

Stay on every list and answer when they contact you. Some operators remove you if you don't confirm each year, and you may have only a week to accept an offer.

Ask your Child Care Resource and Referral (CCRR) centresource ↗. They're free and know which programs have space. You can also search the Province's child care mapsource ↗.

Look at recreation. City and community centre after-school programs are often easier to get into. They're not licensed child care, and some only cover after school.

Share care. A nanny share with another family from your school, or a licence-not-required caregiver with up to two children, can bridge the gap. If you qualify, the Affordable Child Care Benefitsource ↗ can also help pay for unlicensed care or a nanny.

Lean on family and neighbours. Grandparents, a carpool with other parents or swapping pickup days can cover part of the week while you wait.

Look ahead. If your school is getting new spaces, ask the operator when it will take names.