News & Stories: Policy Monitor

Excerpt: "This year, more new moms will have an easier time joining the workforce and more young families will benefit from affordable child care. We are expanding upon and learning from our $25-per day childcare pilot program. This year, we will create an additional 4,500 affordable childcare spaces across Alberta."

Excerpt: "The agreement allocates just over $136 million, over three years, to Alberta for early learning and child care investments. Funding to the province will focus on increasing access to quality, affordable, flexible and inclusive child care through the expansion of Early Learning and Child Care (ELCC) Centres across the province. In 2017, the Government of Alberta launched 22 pilot ELCC Centres, based on a maximum fee for all parents of $25 per day to support children and their families accessing affordable, quality, flexible and inclusive child care. With this new funding, approximately 78 additional Early Learning and Child Care Centres will be launched across Alberta in 2017–2018, an increase of more than 350%."

Excerpt: "Premier Rachel Notley announced 82 locations where existing programming will soon transition to $25-a-day child care. Another 18 new centres will be added in future months as additional programs are licensed and obtain not-for-profit status. In total Budget 2018 supports 7,300 affordable child care spaces in communities all across the province."

Excerpt: "The ELCC Centre Initiative is positively impacting family and child well-being. The quality of care at ELCC Centres is providing children with a solid foundation for their growth and development, advancing children’s growth and development and improving children’s behavior. Additionally, the ELCC Centre Initiative is enabling parents/caregivers to return to school or work and to exercise more freedom of choice regarding their career and work arrangements. It is also reducing parents/caregivers’ stress and providing them with peace of mind as well as contributing to reducing the financial burden of daycare that families’ face; thereby enabling them to make ends meet, pay off debts, save for the future and afford to do fun activities with their children."

Excerpt: "That’s why we established a $25-a-day child care pilot program and expanded it to 7,300 spaces across 122 licensed child-care centres. But even still, child care is far too expensive for far too many women and families. That’s why, this year, your government will undertake a major new program to help young mothers and families save thousands of dollars and help make child care more affordable for everyone."

Excerpt: "As of March 2018, the availability of ELCC Centres supported an estimated 328 Albertans to enter or re-enter the workforce. 92% of parents said their children’s enrolment at a child care centre enabled them to return to work or school."

Excerpt: "In 2020-21, $123.0 million is allocated to provide funding for the certification of child care staff based on educational qualifications; support the recruitment and retention of qualified and educated staff through professional development and tiered wage top ups; and the licensing, support and monitoring of child care programs under the Child Care Licensing Act. "

Excerpt: "Effective April 1, the Government of Alberta will no longer administer a child care accreditation system parallel to licensing. No other province in the country duplicates licensing and accreditation.

Eliminating accreditation lets child care providers spend more time with kids and families. Child care centre operators and workers have been clear that the accreditation process added unnecessary red tape, causing workers to spend hundreds of hours on paperwork rather than focusing on care for children."

Excerpt: "The agreement allocates more than $45 million in 2020–21 to Alberta for early learning and child care investments. In particular, Alberta will create new licensed child care spaces through capital and program grants, provide child care subsidies to more families, support evidence-based training for child care staff and offset costs for child care centres associated with COVID-19 closures and reopening."

Excerpt: "Canada and Alberta agree that the investment of funds provided under this Agreement will be consistent with the vision, principles and objectives for early learning and child care, which are set out in the Framework."

Excerpt: "Canada and Alberta agree that the investment of funds provided under this Agreement will be consistent with the vision, principles and objectives for early learning and child care, which are set out in the Framework."

Excerpt: "Today, the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development announced that the Government of Alberta will receive $72 million of the $625 million in federal support for Canada’s child care sector to help ensure that safe and sufficient child care is available to support parents’ gradual return to work. This funding is in addition to the $45 million Alberta is receiving through the 2020-21 Canada-Alberta Early Learning and Child Care Bilateral Agreement to support child care programs and services for Alberta families."