Children & Child Care

To locate other licenced child care facilities available in Burnaby

• Fraser Health - child care provides information on licensed child care facilities and a range of child care options for infants to 12 year-olds.
• Burnaby/New Westminster Child Care Resource & Referral helps families locate child care and provides assistance and professional development for child care operators.
• BC Centre for Ability Burnaby Supported Child Development Program helps families find options and available spaces for their children with special needs, along with other helpful information.

The Affordable Child Care Benefit is a monthly payment to help eligible families with the cost of child care.

The City also supports children in Burnaby through a broad range of recreation activities and programs–including access to the Fair Play Program, free and low cost and Grade 5 Be Active programs; and through partnerships with Burnaby School District, Fraser Health and other community organizations. The City is an active participant in Burnaby's Early Childhood Development Community Planning Table.

Small-scale multi-unit housing district

Family child care (maximum of 7 children) and in-home, multi-age child care (maximum of 8 children) are permitted as a home occupation in a single-family home, duplex, multiplex or rowhouse dwelling, including in the primary dwelling unit or in a secondary suite. 

In the R1 district, up to 2 dwelling units on a lot, each with a maximum of 7 to 8 children, are permitted to have a home-based child care, and only if the owners of the other dwelling units support the establishment of the home-based child care.

Multiple family zoning districts

Family child care and in-home multi-age child care are also permitted in these multiple family zoning districts :

• RM1, RM2 and RM3, RM4, RM5, RM6 and RM7

However, the child care centre must be located in a ground floor dwelling unit and have the support of the strata council or the owner or manager of a rental building.

The child care centre application process for home-based child care, family child care and in-home multi-age child care

As part of the Fraser Health Authority application process for licensed family child care or in-home multi-age child care, you need to complete a City of Burnaby referral form. The City reviews the referral form for compliance with zoning regulations (including the number of children on site) and any fire or safety concerns. Note that as a home-based child care operator, you must be a resident of the dwelling unit.

A helpful resource guide

A step-by-step guide for a home-based child care centre in Burnaby provides the steps to follow for opening a home-based child care centre or amending your current licence. In Burnaby, a home-based child care centre is any child care service located in a residential dwelling and operated by the resident of the dwelling.

Before buying or leasing a child care space, make sure the type of child care centre you plan to provide is allowed at that location. Child care centres have a number of type categories:

• group child care (under 36 months, 30 months to school age, and school age)
• preschool 
• multi-age 
• school-age on school grounds*
• recreational child care centres for more than 8 children*

*Service types added in 2021

The above categories are permitted in the following zoning districts:

• P1, P2, P3, P5, P6, P11 Public and Institutional Districts
• R1 Small-Scale Multi-Unit Housing District (conditional)
• RM1, RM2, RM3/RM3s, RM4/RM4s and RM5/RM5s Multiple Family Residential Districts
• C1, C2, C3, C4, C8/C8a (conditional) and C9 Commercial Districts
• M4, M5, and M8 Industrial Districts
• B1 and B2 Business Centre Districts
• It may be possible to locate a child care centre in the Comprehensive Development (CD) District, but  in some cases rezoning may still be required.

You can enter the address of the space you’re considering for a childcare centre into our Zoning Map to look up the designated Zoning District.

Application process

To open a child care space, you must meet the provincial and municipal requirements. Connect with the Health Protection Office Burnaby for information about the Fraser Health Community Care Facilities Licensing, and connect with Burnaby’s planning division at 604-294-7400 to learn about the City’s requirements. 

The following applications may be required:

• Rezoning: If your site is not zoned for any district or sub-district above, the site will need to be rezoned. City Council must approve the rezoning application.
• Preliminary Plan Approval: If you are changing the external appearance of a building or site or changing the use of the building, you will need a Preliminary Plan Approval.
• Building Permit: You must meet all BC Building Code requirements, including building, fire and electrical code regulations for child care facilities. We recommend consulting with a certified architect or engineer to check what renovations might be needed before signing a lease or buying a property. For more information, see the Building Department’s Child Care Facilities brochure.
  Child-Care-Facilities-Brochure.pdf
• Other Requirements: 
  • There must be enough parking on site to meet the zoning bylaw requirements. 
  • There must be an outdoor play area. If you are thinking about using a nearby park for your outdoor play area, you need to speak to Fraser Health Community Care Facilities Licensing and the City of Burnaby Parks Department.

Submit your application

1. Once you’ve developed a plan for your child care centre, apply for the Fraser Health Child Care Licence. After a completed application has been submitted, a Licensing Officer will meet with you to ensure your centre meets all legislative requirements.
2. Contact City staff at the planning division to ask whether your chosen location permits a child care facility, or what would be required to permit it to be used as one. 
3. Apply for a Burnaby business licence. The Business Licence Office will send your application to the Fire Department, Building Department and Fraser Health Licensing as part of the process.