Minister of Children’s Services Rebecca Schulz (Government of Alberta)

By Justin Goulet (Lethbridge News Now)

Province increases access to child care by expanding subsidy program

Jul 26, 2021 | 2:03 PM

CALGARY, AB – The province has announced child care subsidies to more families as Alberta reopens and recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Supported by investments from the federal government, the Government of Alberta is directing $45 million to further help families earning up to $90,000 with their child care costs. This change will be in effect starting September 1, and is a bump up from the previous income threshold of $75,000. The investment means about 12,000 more children will receive support, including those enrolled in preschool programs.

The announcement comes days after a four-year extension was signed to the Canada-Alberta Early Learning and Child Care Agreement.

READ MORE: Feds & AB Government extend child care agreement, providing $290-million over four years

$4.25 million of the funding is set aside for families with children attending licensed preschools. Eligible families will get $125 per month to assist with fees for child care. Before this, subsidy funding was only available for licensed daycare, family day home and out-of-school care programs.

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The provincial government is also directing more than $4 million to provide wage top-ups for early childhood educators in preschool.

Minister of Children’s Services, Rebecca Schulz said, “our government knows access to safe, high-quality, affordable early learning and child care options will make a difference for working parents and their children, and support Alberta’s economic recovery.”

“These investments are targeted, based on what we heard Albertans need, and are the next step in our longer-term strategy to support the choices parents are making.”

Monday’s announcement can be viewed below.

Owner and director of A Child First Preschool, Jennifer Sissons, stated that the announcement is great news for preschools in Alberta.

She said that, “preschool educators work hard every day to support children and their early childhood education. Including preschool educators in wage top-ups now recognizes that preschool education is a venue for high-quality child care on the same level as daycare and out-of-school care programs.”

“It will help us to retain and attract qualified staff. Reintroducing preschool subsidy will make it easier for parents to access high-quality educational care for their children.”

Parents interested in applying for a child care subsidy in Alberta can learn more here.

Meantime, the Opposition NDP are urging the UCP to work on an agreement with the feds that would bring in $10-per-day child care.

The NDP estimates such an agreement would save families, on average, $800 monthly or $9,600 each year.

“Every day that the UCP delays signing this agreement equates to leaving $1.1 million on the table,” says NDP Leader Rachel Notley. “This is money that should be in the pockets of Albertans and being circulated into our economy while we need it most. Alberta parents are paying the price for yet another of Jason Kenney’s pointless fights with Ottawa.”

The NDP are calling for an agreement with the following stipulations:

o Matched federal-provincial dollars to support $5.64 billion total dollars by 2025/2026 to support families seeking childcare.

o Eligibility for all licenced care whether it be in not-for-profit or for-profit daycare centres or dayhomes. This includes flexible models of care that support people’s needs in terms of where and when care is provided, including before- and after-school care.

o Reducing fees in the province by 50 per cent by December 2022, to $25/day by September 2025, and to $10/day throughout the province by the end of 2026.

o Dedicate a portion of funding in all years to Indigenous-led care.