How daycare waitlists work in BC, and how to apply to more than one

A waitlist for licensed child care in BC is not a queue with a number attached. It is a list one centre manages on its own, with no required order, no guaranteed timeline, and no obligation to update you on a fixed schedule. Understanding that changes how families search: most do not wait on one list, they apply to several at once.

What a waitlist actually is, and is not

There is no provincial system that ranks families across every licensed provider in BC. Each centre decides for itself how it fills an opening, which can depend on a child's age, the date a family applied, whether a sibling already attends, or the schedule a family needs. Two centres a few blocks apart can run their waitlists in completely different ways, and neither is required to follow the other's approach.

That means the honest answer to "how long is the waitlist" is almost always "it depends," and a centre giving you a vague answer is not necessarily withholding information. It may genuinely not have a fixed number to give you, because its own process does not work that way.

The fee that is no longer allowed

Until recently, some licensed providers in BC charged a fee just to add a family's name to a waitlist, sometimes with no guarantee a space would ever open. Effective April 1, 2024, the Province banned this practice: families looking for licensed child care can no longer be charged a fee to put their names on waitlists. Before the ban, roughly 5 percent of providers, concentrated in metropolitan areas, had been charging fees that ranged from $25 to $200 or more, and most of those fees were non-refundable.

If a licensed provider asks you to pay a fee simply to join a waitlist today, that is worth asking about directly. It does not automatically mean something is wrong, but it is no longer standard practice under provincial rules, and a straightforward question to the centre is a reasonable next step.

Why applying to several centres at once is normal, not excessive

A government release on the waitlist fee ban quoted a parent who described being on waitlists at "20 or 30 different establishments" while searching for care. That is not unusual. Because no single centre can promise a firm opening date, and because each one manages its own list independently, families searching for a space commonly apply broadly rather than committing to one option and waiting.

This matters most for infant care, which tends to fill earlier than any other age group, simply because there are fewer infant spaces relative to demand and families often start looking well before their child is born or shortly after. There is no fixed rule for how many months or years ahead is enough. It depends on the centre, the age group, and how many families are already on that specific list.

What a Child Care Resource and Referral centre can do

A Child Care Resource and Referral service, usually shortened to CCRR, is a government-funded program that helps families understand the different types of child care available in BC and maintains a referral list of licensed and registered providers in its service area. A CCRR can point you toward providers you may not have found on your own and can help with applications for programs like the Affordable Child Care Benefit.

What a CCRR does not do is hold a waitlist on your behalf. Its list is a referral list, meant to connect you with providers, not a queue that reserves a space. You still need to contact and apply to individual centres directly; a CCRR is a starting point for finding them, not a substitute for applying.

How to follow up without it feeling like nagging

A follow-up message is most useful when it carries something genuinely new: your child started walking, was weaned, moved into a new age category, or your family's required start date or schedule changed. That gives a centre a real update to weigh. Repeating the same message with no new information rarely changes anything, since the centre is not working through the list any faster because you asked twice.

It is also reasonable to ask a centre directly, in plain terms, roughly where your family stands for your child's age group and schedule. Centres are not obligated to give a specific number, since they manage their own list by their own criteria, but many will give you a general sense if you ask.

Keeping track across more than one list

No system tracks your family's status across every centre you have applied to. That responsibility sits with the family. A simple record works: the centre's name, the date you applied, who you spoke with, and any date you agreed to check back. Even a short note in a phone app is enough. The point is having one place to look before you follow up with anyone, so you are not guessing whether it has been two weeks or two months since your last contact.

Staying on a waitlist you prefer while continuing to look elsewhere is common and reasonable. If an offer comes from a centre lower on your list first, you can decide then whether to accept it or keep waiting for your first choice; nothing about being on multiple lists commits you to accepting the first opening.

What "priority" actually means at a centre that uses it

Some centres do apply a priority order rather than filling openings on a strict first-come basis. Where that exists, it is set by the individual provider, not by any provincial rule, and it commonly weighs things like whether a sibling already attends, whether a family previously withdrew and reapplied, or whether the age and schedule a family needs happens to match the specific opening that has come up. None of these criteria are guaranteed at any one centre; ask directly whether a provider uses a priority system at all before assuming your position on a list reflects only how long you have been on it.

This is worth asking about early, because it changes how you interpret silence. A family with no sibling connection and a schedule that does not match an opening may simply be waiting for the right combination to appear, not sitting behind a long line of names ahead of them. Asking a centre what it actually weighs, rather than assuming a simple queue, often explains a wait that otherwise feels unexplained.

Deciding whether a long wait is still worth keeping

At some point in a search, it is reasonable to ask whether staying on a particular waitlist is still the right use of your time and attention. A few honest questions help with that decision. Has the centre given you any indication, even a general one, of typical wait times for your child's age group. Has anything changed on your side, a new job, a moved start date, another opening elsewhere, that changes how much this specific centre still matters to your plans. Is the centre still one you would choose if an opening came up tomorrow, or has your family's situation moved on since you applied.

There is no obligation to formally withdraw from a waitlist you are no longer pursuing, though a short message telling a centre you have found other care is a courtesy that keeps its list accurate for the families still behind you. A centre managing an honest list benefits everyone using it, including your own future search if your plans change again.

What to have ready before you start applying

Since applying to several centres at once is normal, it helps to prepare the same basic information once, rather than gathering it fresh for every phone call. Most licensed centres will ask for your child's date of birth or expected due date, the schedule you need in days and hours, the earliest start date that works for your family, and whether you are hoping to use the Affordable Child Care Benefit or another funding program. Having these answers ready shortens each call and makes it easier to compare what different centres tell you, since you are giving each one the same starting information.

It also helps to decide, before you start contacting centres, what actually matters most to your family: a specific neighbourhood, a particular language program, a schedule that matches irregular work hours, or simply the earliest available date regardless of other factors. A clear sense of your own priorities makes it faster to say yes when an offer comes in, rather than needing time to think it over while another family takes the spot.

Frequently asked questions

How does a daycare waitlist actually work in BC?

Each licensed provider manages its own waitlist independently. There is no provincial system that ranks families across centres or guarantees a spot by order of application. A centre decides how it fills openings, which can depend on a child's age, the date they applied, sibling status, or the schedule they need. Ask any centre directly how it manages its own list rather than assuming a standard process applies everywhere.

Can a daycare charge me a fee to join its waitlist?

No. Since April 1, 2024, licensed child care providers in BC can no longer charge a fee for a family to be added to a waitlist. Before that date, some providers charged $25 to $200 or more, usually non-refundable, and about 5 percent of providers, mostly in metropolitan areas, were charging such fees. If a licensed provider asks for a waitlist fee now, that is worth questioning directly.

Is it normal to be on more than one daycare waitlist at once?

Yes, and it is common. A BC government release on the waitlist fee ban quoted a parent who was on waitlists at 20 or 30 different centres at the same time. Because no single centre can promise a firm date for an opening, applying to several providers at once is a realistic way to search, not a sign of doing something wrong.

How far in advance should I get on a daycare waitlist?

As early as you reasonably can, particularly for infant care, since infant spaces tend to fill earliest of any age group. There is no fixed rule for how far ahead is enough, because it depends on the centre, the age group, and how many families are already ahead of you on that specific list. Contact centres directly to ask how far ahead their current families typically apply.

What can a Child Care Resource and Referral centre do to help me find a space?

A Child Care Resource and Referral, or CCRR, service maintains a referral list of licensed and registered providers in its service area and can help a family understand the different types of child care available. It is a referral list, not a waitlist, so it does not hold a place for your child at any specific centre. Reach the ministry's CCRR contact line to be connected with your local service.

What should I tell a daycare when I follow up on a waitlist application?

Anything that has genuinely changed since you applied: your child started walking, weaned, moved into a new age band, or your family's schedule or start date shifted. A specific update gives a centre something new to consider. Repeating the same message with no new information does not move you up a list that a centre manages on its own criteria.

Does applying to a $10 a Day ChildCareBC site work differently from other waitlists?

Access to any approved $10 a Day ChildCareBC site depends on that specific location's licensed capacity and its own waitlist, the same as any other licensed provider. The $10 a Day program changes the fee families pay once enrolled; it does not create a separate provincial waitlist system or change how an individual centre manages its own list.

How do I keep track of multiple daycare waitlists without losing track of them?

Keep your own simple record: the centre's name, the date you applied, who you spoke with, and any date you promised to follow up. No provincial or citywide system tracks this across centres for you, so the responsibility sits with the family. A short spreadsheet or even a notes app entry per centre is enough; the point is having one place to check before you follow up anywhere.

Can I ask a daycare directly where I stand on their waitlist?

Yes, and asking is reasonable. A centre is not obligated to give a specific number or rank, since it manages the list on its own criteria, but many will tell you generally how many families are ahead of you for your child's age group and schedule. Asking that question directly tends to get a more useful answer than waiting for the centre to reach out first.

Should I keep looking at other daycares after I get on a waitlist I like?

Most families do, and it is a reasonable approach given that no centre can guarantee a firm date. Staying on a waitlist you prefer while continuing to look elsewhere is not unusual, and it protects your family from depending on one uncertain outcome. If you do get an offer from a centre lower on your preference list, you can decide then whether to accept it or keep waiting.

Before you visit

Searching for a space is easier once you know what a waitlist actually is: a list one centre keeps, not a shared queue. If Port Coquitlam, Coquitlam or Port Moody is part of your search, contact us about current availability, our language programs, and what a visit looks like, and we will give you a straight answer about where things stand.