High-quality, accessible, affordable, safe and inclusive child care is an important economic driver and an ongoing priority for parents and the government.
Alberta’s government has worked collaboratively with the federal government to ensure the province’s unique mixed market of child-care providers, including both private and non-profit operators of various sizes and complexity, can fully participate and succeed under the Canada-Alberta Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement.
Recently, child-care operators have expressed several concerns relating to long-term sustainability and a lack of flexibility under the agreement.
For these reasons, Premier Danielle Smith has appointed Minister of Jobs, Economy and Trade Matt Jones to lead the province’s work on child care. Minister Jones has extensive experience from his time as minister of children’s services and will immediately engage with the federal government to address the concerns of operators and to ensure child care remains sustainable for Alberta families.
“I look forward to supporting our entrepreneurial and innovative child-care operators as they continue to provide world-class care to Albertans and their children.”
To provide immediate support, Alberta’s government is actively working on a new system that will streamline payment processes and ensure child-care operators receive affordability grant payments faster. This work is being done in partnership with the Ministry of Technology and Innovation, and additional information will be made available in the coming weeks.
“I am pleased to be working with the Ministry of Children and Family Services and the Ministry of Jobs, Economy and Trade to ensure child-care operators are receiving their grant payments quickly, easily and efficiently.”
As work with the federal government continues, alongside work on a new payment system, Minister of Children and Family Services Searle Turton will turn his attention to the core mandate of his portfolio: protecting children, preventing family violence, early childhood development, and supporting foster and kinship caregivers, as well as those pursuing adoption. Alberta’s government will always do what is best for Albertans, and the renewed focus on these areas will help ensure that progress is made to reduce the number of children and families at risk and to ensure that all families are supported.
“Alberta families place their trust in child-care operators every single day to keep their children safe and help them grow and thrive. This new payment system will better support child-care operators in this important work.”