Expanding affordable child care for Alberta
The governments of Alberta and Canada are helping create up to 22,500 affordable private child-care spaces where families need them most.
Private child-care operators play a crucial role in providing high-quality, affordable child-care options that meet the needs of Alberta families. To make child care more accessible to Alberta families, Alberta’s government is expanding the Space Creation Grant to include private child-care operators.
Through the Canada-Alberta Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement, $28 million is being allocated to support private operators with some of the costs associated with opening new child-care spaces. This expansion supports up to 22,500 new, licensed child-care spaces in high-need and high-demand communities across the province.
“High-quality, affordable child care should be accessible and work for all Alberta families. Expanding the Space Creation Grant will help our child-care system grow and thrive, creating thousands of much-needed new spaces for children, as well as opportunities for operators and entrepreneurs.”
Searle Turton, Minister of Children and Family Services
“We firmly believe that a strong early learning and child-care system will be a catalyst for economic growth, increase women’s participation in the workforce, and offer each child in Canada the best possible start in life. The additional child-care spaces made possible through the Canada-Alberta Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement and the Space Creation Grant will allow more children and families across Alberta to access high-quality, affordable, flexible and inclusive early learning and child care.”
Jenna Sudds, federal Minister of Families, Children and Social Development
Expanding Alberta’s Space Creation Grant to include private operators reinforces the government’s commitment to ensuring Alberta parents have choices when it comes to selecting the child-care option that works best for their family. It also brings Alberta closer to achieving the goal of an average of $10 per day child care by 2026.
The Canada-Alberta Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement provides an estimated $3.8 billion for child care over five years. This funding has helped reduce parent fees of zero to kindergarten-aged children by an average of 50 per cent.
“Alberta’s child-care system is enhanced by offering families choice through our province’s unique mixed delivery model. With the expansion of the Space Creation Grant, child-care entrepreneurs will be able to help alleviate increasing demand for child care throughout the province.”
Krystal Churcher, chair, Association of Alberta Childcare Entrepreneurs
Applications for Space Creation Grant funding are open to new and existing licensed non-profit and private facility-based child-care programs and family day home agencies interested in creating new child-care spaces. Operators will be able to apply through the Alberta Purchasing Connection website. There is no closing date for applications at this time.
“Private operators play a huge role in providing Albertans with world-class child care. We are so pleased they will now have access to funding through the Canada-Alberta Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement and Space Creation Grant.”
Cynthia Nerling, president, Alberta Association of Child Care Operators
Eligible recipients may receive up to $1,350 for family day home agencies and up to $6,000 for facility-based programs for each new licensed child-care space created.
Up to 65,000 total child-care spaces are being created through the Canada-Alberta Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement. This includes 42,500 non-profit spaces and 22,500 private spaces. Alberta’s government is supporting an additional 3,700 private spaces that were ready to open when the agreement was signed in November 2021, for a total commitment of 68,700 new spaces.