COVID-19: State of public health emergency. Mandatory measures remain in effect provincewide.
COVID-19 update
Provincewide restrictions on social gatherings do not apply to co-parenting arrangements, or service visits from family care givers, health care or child care providers. However, those visits must be limited to their intended purpose and not be of a social nature.
Licensed daycare, out-of-school and preschool programs can operate as long as providers follow all public health orders and guidance for child care programs.
Licensed child care
- Guidance for Licensed Child Care Centres (Daycares and Out-of-School Care)
- Guidance for Preschools
- Alberta Biz Connect – additional workplace guidance and supports to help businesses and non-profits affected by COVID-19 begin to reopen and resume operations safely
Relief funding for the child care sector is available to ensure they are ready to safely reopen and support families through Alberta’s economic recovery.
See all Public health orders.
Winter break
Mandatory COVID-19 public health measures include specific dates for at-home learning in the days before and after the winter break for school-aged children. Licensed and approved child care centres may remain open as school-aged children shift to at-home learning.
As part of Alberta’s mandatory public health measures, ECS to Grade 12 students will be restricted to at-home learning January 4 to 8. Child care programs, including out-of-school care programs, can continue full-day operations during the week of January 4 to 8 (where it’s permitted by the school or facility where the centre is located).
School openings and closures will vary by school district. Contact your child care provider for details on their individual closures over the winter break.
Home-based child care
The maximum number of children allowed in approved family day homes remains temporarily changed to 6, not including their own children. This change allows approved family day home to provide additional child care spaces for people who are able to go into work during Stage 1 or have children at home due to school closures.
This also gives approved day home providers flexibility in keeping their own children at home and brings them in alignment with private providers, who can also provide care for up to 6 children, not including their own, at any one time. We do not monitor private child care providers but can issue closures if they are over this limit.
Enhanced sanitation practices should be used by all home-based child care providers, approved and private:
- routinely clean and disinfect any surface that people regularly touch
- handwashing facilities or hand sanitizer must be available to children
- visitors and children should not enter if they are feeling unwell
- visitors should wash their hands frequently
Guidance for approved family day homes and group family child care programs
Find child care
To find a child care or a family day home agency in your area, see the:
If you choose to look for a private child care provider, information about what to look for is available here: Finding quality child care.
News
- Dr. Hinshaw Article: Changes to the daily symptoms checklist for children under 18 (Oct. 30, 2020)
- Relief for the child care sector (May 6, 2020)