Funding for working ECEs

Overview

The Early Childhood Educator Workforce Supports Program helps licensed family day home agencies and day care, out-of-school care and preschool programs support the recruitment, retention and professional development of their certified early childhood educators (ECEs).

If you are a certified ECE working for a licensed program or under a licensed family day home agency that is approved to receive this grant, the following types of funding are available:

• wage top-ups
• professional development
• paid release time for training

ECEs do not need to apply for this funding themselves. Payments are provided to approved programs who must transfer it to their ECEs. This includes when an ECE has paid for approved professional development training themselves.

Eligibility

To receive funding, you must:

• be certified as an ECE (Level 1, 2, or 3)
• be a paid employee of a licensed day care, preschool and/or out-of-school care program or be contracted as a family day home educator with a licensed agency
• work for a licensed childcare program or family day home agency that participates in the grant program

Ask your employer if they have signed the required agreements and are submitting monthly claims on your behalf.

Wage top-up funding

Wage top-up funding provides additional pay over and above the base wage paid by your employer. Eligible ECEs must be paid at least minimum wage (not including the wage top-up) and will receive hourly wage top-ups based on their certification level.

Table 1. Wage top-up rates

Funding is paid monthly up to a maximum of 181 hours at the following rates:

Table 2. Average employer-paid wages before and after government wage top-up funding

Wage top-ups are taxable, paid through your employer’s payroll, and should be shown as a separate line item (for example government contribution) on your paystub.

Employers receive ‘mandatory employer contribution funding’ to help cover legislated payroll contributions (CPP, EI, and WCB) for administering wage top-up payments. This makes it easier for your employer to offer this funding, ensuring your wage top-up is fully supported and your benefits are properly funded.

Professional development funding

ECEs can receive up to $2,000 per year to help cover costs of approved training. ECEs must have worked in a licensed childcare program for a minimum of 720 hours based on eligible wage top-up hours claimed and paid in the last two years by the date of completion of the eligible post-secondary course, workshop or conference (refer to the Funding Guide). If an ECE paid for an approved course, workshop or conference themselves, programs can still apply on their behalf and transfer them the received funding, once proof of completion is available.

Table 3. Professional development funding rates (effective September 1, 2021)

Funding for post-secondary coursework and textbooks is available for approved early learning and childcare (ELCC) credit courses from Canadian institutions only.

Funding for workshops and conferences is for the training on the 2026/27 Approved List of Workshops and Conferences. 

Training obtained through non-approved post-secondary courses, workshops and conferences are encouraged but cannot be claimed under this program. 

Release time funding

Release time funding is available to all ECEs who are eligible for professional development funding. ECEs can receive up to $2,387.50 per year as a study incentive to complete approved education and training, even if it occurs outside of scheduled work hours (for example, evenings or weekends). This allows ECEs to be paid for studying, completing post-secondary coursework and/or attending workshops that have been approved for professional development funding.

Release time funding is paid to programs who then must transfer payments to their ECEs as a taxable benefit.

Table 4. Rate of payment to program per ECE

• A separate form is required to receive professional development and release time funding. 
• ECEs and/or programs must fill out the Professional Development Funding Request form and follow the submission instructions in the form.
  • Submit receipt of payment and proof of completion.
  • To request release time funding along with professional development funding, you must fill in the relevant section in the form above.
  • For post-secondary courses, submit within 3 calendar months of completion. 
    • For courses started between January and March 2027, submit within 3 calendar months of completion or by June 30, 2027, whichever is sooner.
  • For workshops and conferences, submit within 3 calendar months of completion or by March 31, 2027, whichever is sooner.

The Alberta government introduced the Early Childhood Educator Workforce Supports Program on April 1, 2026. This program includes changes to professional development and release time funding. Read the documents below for more information for the 2026/27 fiscal year:

• Professional Development and Release Time Funding Fact Sheet
• Approved List of Workshops and Conferences for Professional Development and Release Time Funding

Contact

Connect with the Early Childhood Educator Workforce Supports Program:

Hours: 8:15 am to 4:30 pm (open Monday to Friday, closed statutory holidays)
Phone: 780-422-1119
Toll free: 1-800-661-9754
Email: [email protected]

Walk-in service is not available.

Related

• Funding and supports
• Alberta Child Care Grant Funding Program
• Start a childcare program