Can I use the Affordable Child Care Benefit for a nanny or babysitter at home?

The ACCB recognizes care in the child's own home, claimed on form CF1704a, as long as the caregiver is not a relative or a dependant of the parent. Whether a specific arrangement qualifies, including one booked through an agency, is the Province's decision; Puffin does not claim its bookings qualify, so confirm with the ACCB program first.

What is the income limit for the maximum ACCB with in-home care?

For care in the child's own home, the maximum benefit applies at an adjusted household income up to $24,000. Families earning up to $111,000 may qualify for a smaller amount, which depends on income, the child's age and the type of care.

Is in-home care cheaper than a $10 a Day spot?

No. Full-time in-home care, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM on weekdays, is $1,280 a week. Families use in-home care for what a centre does not cover: evenings, Pro-D days, sick days, and the months before a spot opens.

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September 25, 2026Puffin Services

$10 a Day Daycare, the Affordable Child Care Benefit, or In-Home Care? How BC Families Decide

Three things BC families weigh against each other, which mostly aren't competing for the same job. What each one is, who it's for, and where in-home care actually fits.

In British Columbia, a family working out childcare usually runs into three things at once: a $10 a Day spot, the Affordable Child Care Benefit, and in-home care. They sound like three options for the same job. Mostly they aren't. Each solves a different problem, and many families end up using two of them together.

$10 a Day ChildCareBC centres

$10 a Day ChildCareBC centres are licensed centres, for children from birth to age five, where the parent fee is capped: no more than $200 a month per child for full-time care during regular business hours. It is not income-tested; any family can apply. You apply to each centre directly, and each centre keeps its own waitlist.

If you can get a spot, nothing else on this page competes with it on price. What it gives you is a full-time weekday place during business hours. It does not cover evenings, weekends, a child who is too sick to attend, or the months before a spot opens.

The Affordable Child Care Benefit

The Affordable Child Care Benefit (ACCB) is a monthly provincial benefit toward childcare costs for children 12 and under. It is income-tested: families earning up to $111,000 may qualify, and the amount depends on income, the child's age and the type of care, up to $1,250 per child per month.

Two details matter if you are thinking about care at home:

Care in the child's own home is a type of care the benefit recognizes. It has its own claim form, CF1704a. The income line for the maximum benefit is lower for this type of care: an adjusted household income up to $24,000, where licensed care has a higher threshold.

The caregiver cannot be a relative. Care in the child's own home counts only if the person providing it is not a relative of the child or a dependant of the parent.

Whether a particular arrangement qualifies, and for how much, is the Ministry's decision, not ours. That includes an arrangement booked through an agency like Puffin. We do not claim that Puffin bookings qualify for the ACCB. If the benefit is part of your plan, ask the ACCB program before you count on it.

In-home care: what it is for

In-home care is a caregiver coming to your home for the hours you choose. The honest comparison with a $10 a Day spot is not price: full-time weekday care at home, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, is $1,280 a week, about $5,547 a month, against a $200 cap. Families choose in-home care for what a centre does not do:

The months before a spot opens. Three days a week, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, is $768 a week, and nothing is signed beyond the bookings themselves.

The hours a centre is closed. After-school pickup and care, 3:00 to 6:00 PM every weekday, is $540 a week. A Pro-D day or a full day when the centre is shut is $256. An evening out is $96.

A child who can't go in. A centre will keep a sick child home. The booking form needs 24 hours' notice, but the office can sometimes arrange same-day care by phone on (604) 283-2829.

More than one child. Every child in the home is included in one booking, so siblings don't multiply the price.

Every charge comes with an emailed record, which is the kind of paperwork any claim will ask for.

Putting it together

Most families end up combining them: a $10 a Day spot or a licensed centre as the base, the ACCB if their income qualifies, and in-home care for the gaps. If you are still waiting on a spot, in-home care is the bridge, and the question to answer is how many days a week the bridge has to carry.

Book childcare →Babysitter costs →Nanny costs →Returning to work →

Public program details as of September 2026, from the Province of BC and BC Laws pages linked above. Programs change, so confirm current rules and amounts with the Province.

Common questions

Can I use the Affordable Child Care Benefit for a nanny or babysitter at home?: The ACCB recognizes care in the child's own home, claimed on form CF1704a, as long as the caregiver is not a relative or a dependant of the parent. Whether a specific arrangement qualifies, including one booked through an agency, is the Province's decision; Puffin does not claim its bookings qualify, so confirm with the ACCB program first.
What is the income limit for the maximum ACCB with in-home care?: For care in the child's own home, the maximum benefit applies at an adjusted household income up to $24,000. Families earning up to $111,000 may qualify for a smaller amount, which depends on income, the child's age and the type of care.
Is $10 a Day childcare income-tested?: No. $10 a Day ChildCareBC centres are open to any family, with a parent fee of no more than $200 a month per child for full-time care during regular business hours. You apply to each centre directly, and each keeps its own waitlist.
Is in-home care cheaper than a $10 a Day spot?: No. Full-time in-home care, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM on weekdays, is $1,280 a week. Families use in-home care for what a centre does not cover: evenings, Pro-D days, sick days, and the months before a spot opens.

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