gov.bc.ca Financial Assistance for Child Care Subsidy : Province of British Columbia

Name of the Organization : Province of British Columbia
Type of Facility : Financial Assistance for Child Care Subsidy
Province : British Columbia
Country : Canada

Website : https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/home
Subsidy Form : https://www.statusin.org/uploads/25732-childcare.pdf
Supporting Documents : https://www.statusin.org/uploads/25732-documentation.pdf

Financial Assistance for Child Care :

A child care subsidy or allowance is available to help low income families in B.C. with the cost of child care:
** Families that earn $40,000 or less should apply – families that earn up to $55,000 may also be eligible

Related : Province of British Columbia Apply for a Birth Certificate Canada : www.statusin.org/25691.html

** Families may be eligible for full or partial subsidy, depending on their circumstances and income

Eligibility :
** Before going through the application process, make sure you’re eligible to receive child subsidy payments.

As parent or guardian you must be :
** A resident of B.C. and
** A Canadian citizen, a permanent resident of Canada, a convention refugee or a person in need of protection

Eligible child care arrangements must be one of the following :
** Licensed family home, group child care centre or preschool
** Registered licence-not-required home
** Licence-not-required home or in the child’s own home

Parents or guardians must also meet one or more of the following criteria :
** You are employed or self-employed
** You are attending an educational institution or enrolled in distance education
** You are seeking employment or participating in an employment-related program (only one parent can be looking for work)
** You have a medical condition that interferes with your ability to care for your child
** You have a child attending a licensed preschool
** You have been referred by a social worker from the Ministry of Children and Family Development or a delegated Aboriginal agency

Apply :
** Apply at any time during the year. You will receive a benefit plan once you’re approved – it will last as long as your reason for care.
** When your benefit plan is almost done, you will be asked to renew your subsidy payments.

Follow these steps for a successful application :
Step 1: Choose a child care provider
Step 2: Complete the Care Arrangement Form with your care provider (Note: the form will not work in Google Chrome).
** Care Arrangement Form

Step 3: Submit the Child Care Subsidy application along with any supporting documents
** List of supporting documents
** Child Care Subsidy Application
** Report unemployment
** Report self-employment income
** Report a medical condition

Note : the forms will not work in Google Chrome.

Approval :
Once your application has been reviewed and approved, you will receive a benefit plan that outlines:
** The amount of your monthly subsidy
** The start and end date of monthly subsidy payments
** A list of all children in your family receiving subsidized child care
** If you are found not eligible for the child care subsidy, you may request a reconsideration.

Special Needs Supplement :
** Parents or guardians who have a child with special needs may be eligible for an additional $150 per month towards the cost of child care.
** The total of the child care subsidy and the special needs supplement cannot be more than the child provider’s rate.

Monthly Claim for Payment :
** Your child care provider will submit a monthly claim form for payment.
** If your child’s care is in your home you, the parent or guardian, will submit the claim form

School-aged children :
** If your child is in school, you may need to claim an additional subsidy for more than one full-day of care in a month.
** Contact us by phone to request this adjustment after the 25th day of the month you are claiming for
** Submit the appropriate form telling us the number of days and the reason – for example, your child’s school is closed or your child is sick
** Request additional coverage in advance for things like winter and spring vacation, or gradual Kindergarten entry in September

Payment :
** The subsidy is paid monthly – it’s either mailed out as a cheque or deposited directly into the child care provider’s bank account.
** If child care is provided in your own home, the parent or guardian is responsible for submitting the claim form each month and paying the child care provider.

Report Changes :
** Keep your contact information up-to-date and immediately report any changes that could affect your eligibility.
** Not reporting changes could mean losing your child care subsidy or having to pay back funds.

Report a change in :
** Employment
** Marital status
** Income
** Reason for care
** Family size
** Address

Funding Amount :
** Families may be eligible for a full or partial subsidy, depending on their income.
** If their net income is more than the approved amount for a full subsidy, they will receive a partial subsidy.
** The difference between these two amounts is called the parent portion.
** Once a child starts school, the subsidy decreases because the number of child care hours needed is less.