Alberta child care subsidy agreement is a forced situation, operators say
Posted Jan 22, 2024 9:15 am.
Last Updated Jan 22, 2024 9:22 am.
Parents and childcare providers are concerned about the deadline to join the Alberta childcare subsidy agreement, and how it will impact costs, programs, and quality of services in childcare facilities.
By 2025, Alberta has plans to transition from an Early Learning and Child Care system funded by parent fees, to one primarily funded by government in a way to reduce core child care fees.
Daycare operators have until the end of the month to sign on for the 2024 agreement, which will last 15 months.
The Association Alberta of Childcare Entrepreneurs say this move will have a negative social impact on children and the centre’s operations.
“And essentially what it’s doing is it’s going to strip childcare down to a core childcare cost which will be the $10 a day $15 a day fee, and what you’ll get for that would be basic — I’d love to call it standardized government funded childcare,” said Krystal Churcher, chair of the Association of Alberta Childcare Entrepreneurs.
The association says the program will restrict meal plans, transportation, and, cultural, language, sensory and emotional programs.
There would be a major cost savings for parents who could be paying approximately one-third of what they would if operators don’t sign the agreement.
But operators say they don’t want to compromise their kids’ wellbeing.
Joanna Auger has three children, all who have attended the same childcare facility for several years.
She says she is concerned, as are other parents, about the quality of services decreasing or not having them at all.
“One of the best things about our daycare is they offer a full meal program so we don’t have to send any food with our children and one of the biggest things is that will likely have to cancel our meal program and have parents bring the food, and when I heard that and other parents heard that we went ‘Oh we don’t want that,'” the Alberta parent said.
Churcher says after meeting with the province to discuss this issue, they were left with no clear solutions which have prompted them to take other actions.
“No one wants to get into a conflict with government but we really do feel that we have an obligation to protect the interest of parents and make sure that Alberta still retains a high-quality of mixed market childcare,” she said.
Churcher adds the association will be looking to provincial funding to support operators, and is moving to roll out an aggressive campaign in the next week to bring awareness to the public on the impact of the program and its consequences.
