WELCOME to Westcoast Family Information and Referral!

Choosing a quality child care setting can be one of the most difficult decisions a parent has to make. The Advisors have information about how to choose quality child care, can customize a child care list for your specific needs, or provide information about current vacancies.

Are you looking for child care and early learning programs in Vancouver?

We offer:

• Referrals to licensed and registered child care settings in Vancouver
• Information and referrals to neighbourhood-based child development and family support programs in Vancouver

Contact us

• Call us at 604-709-5699, Monday to Friday, 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
• Email: fir@wstcoast.org
• Or review our listings online
• Interpretation services for parents who speak Mandarin, Cantonese, Spanish, Bosnian, Serbian and Croatian are available

The Province of BC has posted a Child Care Programs Map for your reference on their website. The Child Care Map is another on-line resource to assist you in searching for child care in your community.

The following publications may be helpful:

• Parent's Guide to Selecting Childcare (PDF, 208kb, updated September 2009)
• Choosing Child Care (BC Health Guide website)
• Checklist for parents considering commercial child care (PDF, Coalition of Child Care Advocates of BC)
• For multilingual brochures on choosing quality child care, click here.

Child Care Fees
Click here to find out the average rates you might expect to pay for child care.

Waiting Lists
Waiting lists for group child care centres may be long. Another option is to consider child care that is offered in the care provider’s own home. This is called family child care. Licensed Family Child Care providers can care for up to 7 children, including their own. Registered Licensed-Not-Required providers can care for 2 children in addition to their own.