Effective June 1, licensed child-care facilities must post on-site notices of high-risk, potentially criminal incidents reported at their programs. These notices will go up within one business day (or as soon as reasonably possible) after incidents are reported, in areas visible to parents. A notice will also be posted on alberta.ca with the program name and the date on which the incident was reported. Families whose children are involved in such incidents will continue to be notified directly by their respective child-care programs.
The vast majority of Alberta’s child-care providers are dedicated to children’s health, safety and well-being, but when serious incidents do happen, parents have been clear they need more information sooner. In response to these concerns, Alberta’s government is making improvements to parental and public notifications to keep families informed about serious incidents at child-care facilities.
“The safety and well-being of children in child care is our highest priority. We’ve heard from parents that they want clearer, more timely information about serious incidents, and this change is an important first step. While these incidents are rare, we will continue strengthening how we keep parents informed and support safe, high-quality care.”
Under the current system, child-care providers must only notify families if their child is directly affected by an incident. The new requirement to post notices about high-risk, potentially criminal incidents in an area visible to all parents is the first in a broader set of actions Alberta’s government will take to strengthen transparency and communication.
In addition to on-site notices, Alberta’s government is also encouraging providers to post safety plans in highly visible areas of their facilities. These plans are approved by Education and Childcare and outline safety measures to be followed after an incident.
“Clear, timely communication with families following a serious incident has been part of the YMCA of Northern Alberta’s standard operating procedures for many years. We are very pleased to see these practices being rolled out across the province because the safety, well-being and trust of children and families must always come first.”
Alberta’s government worked with child-care providers, law enforcement, and legal and privacy experts to develop these new policies. In the coming months, Alberta Education and Childcare will work with the child-care sector to explore opportunities for longer-term safety and transparency enhancements.
“The safety and well-being of children in our care is our highest priority. Families place an enormous amount of trust in child-care providers, and we support the government’s efforts to strengthen transparency around serious incident reporting and notification. While serious incidents remain rare, parents deserve timely communication, clear information about what occurred, and confidence that appropriate steps are being taken to support ongoing safety and prevent similar situations in the future.”
Safe, high-quality care is the government’s highest priority. Albertans can find several resources on alberta.ca to help them choose high-quality child-care options that meet their families’ needs. Parents can also see details on the enforcement history of individual programs.
Quick facts
- Alberta Education and Childcare monitors child-care programs for safety, quality and compliance with provincial child-care standards.
- When a high-risk, potentially criminal incident is reported, Alberta’s child-care licensing team collaborates with relevant authorities (police, child intervention, public health, etc.) to determine what happened and ensure children are safe.
- Detailed information cannot be released while police investigations are in progress.
- The new process for posting on-site and public notices will apply to licensed, facility-based child-care providers (daycare, preschool and out-of-school care). Family day home agencies continue to be responsible for closing homes after serious incidents, offering backup care options and notifying families directly.
- Alberta’s child-care licensing team will determine on a case-by-case basis whether specific incidents meet the threshold for the new notification process and will focus on those involving possible harm to children, including allegations of abuse or neglect.
- The Childcare Connect contact centre is available toll free at 1-844-644-5165 for anyone wishing to report an incident or concern in a child-care program. Staff can also answer general child-care questions and help families find child-care options in their community.
- Unlike public notices about enforcement actions against programs, incident-specific notices will be removed from alberta.ca after 90 days. Albertans should contact child-care programs directly for more information about individual incidents.
- There is no additional cost to the government to implement this new policy.
Related news
- Alberta strengthens child care safety (Oct. 30, 2024)