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Part of For programs and educators

Starting and operating a licensed child care program

Find licensing forms, templates and resources to start a facility-based child care program or family day home agency.

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For programs and educators

Overview

To open and operate a licensed childcare program, it is important to understand how licensing and funding work together. Before applying for a licence or requesting new childcare spaces, check whether your program is eligible for funding.

This page contains information on facility-based and family day home agency licences. For information on providing home-based care, visit Become a family day home educator.

Eligibility for affordability funding

Affordability funding is an operating grant paid monthly to eligible licensed programs to help lower childcare fees for families. To receive this funding, providers must meet eligibility criteria and sign an Affordability Grant agreement with the Government of Alberta. Providers should be aware that funding is limited and tied to childcare space creation caps under the current federal-provincial childcare agreement.

Before you apply for a licence or request additional childcare spaces, confirm your eligibility for affordability funding. Explore the information below on Alberta’s childcare space creation caps, affordability funding criteria for for-profit and non-profit programs, and updated data on how many childcare spaces remain available for funding.

Childcare space targets

The 2021–2026 Canada-Alberta Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement (CACWELCC) includes funding to reduce parent fees for an additional 42,500 non-profit spaces (28,000 facility-based and 14,500 family day home) and 26,200 for-profit spaces, for a total of 68,700 net new funded spaces.

  • In December 2025, the governments of Alberta and Canada signed a one-year, $1.17-billion extension of the CACWELCC Agreement. The extension removes the family day home space creation cap and allows up to 5,000 more for-profit spaces to receive affordability funding to improve access in areas where childcare remains limited.
  • Alberta hit its existing for-profit space cap of 26,200 spaces in fall 2025. This means affordability funding for for-profit spaces remains limited and the eligibility criteria implemented in May 2025 remains in place.

For-profit program eligibility

Affordability funding is only available to for-profit programs in the following cases:

  • An existing program has already signed a 2025–26 Affordability Grant agreement.
  • An existing program applies to increase their number of spaces through a licence variance (with demonstrated need and a good compliance history).
  • A program has a signed Space Creation Grant agreement and opens within the designated timeframe set out in their grant agreement.

Licensed for-profit programs ineligible for affordability funding can still apply for the provincially funded Alberta Child Care Grant Funding Program, which includes wage top-up, professional development, release time and mandatory employer contribution funding for certified early childhood educators.

Non-profit program eligibility

Licensed non-profit daycares, preschools, family day home agencies and out-of-school care programs (that care for kindergarten-age children during school hours) remain eligible for affordability funding on a first-licensed first-served basis until the space creation cap has been met.

Available childcare spaces (as of September 30, 2025)

The following information about for-profit and non-profit space creation targets is intended to help childcare providers who are considering applying for a licence and affordability funding.

The table and chart below show the most current data available on licensed childcare spaces in Alberta. Allocated childcare spaces refers to spaces that have already been assigned, which include:

  • licensed programs with a signed Affordability Grant agreement
  • programs with signed Space Creation Grants that are not yet licensed

Table 1. CACWELCC Agreement – Licensed child care spaces

As of: September 30, 2025

**Space targets reflect negotiated commitments under the CACWELCC Agreement between Alberta and the Government of Canada.
***Space Creation Grants require the signing of an Affordability Grant upon licensing. These spaces are allocated, but not yet licensed.
****Spaces in the application process only include spaces not allocated; those with a space creation grant allocation have been removed. This number represents the estimated number of spaces anticipated by applicants. Estimated spaces as of September 30, 2025.
*****As of August 31, 2025. September data for Family Day Home Spaces will be available early November.
^Active and open spaces.
^^Includes unallocated spaces and spaces that are licensed but not yet active/open.
 For-profit facility based spacesNon-profit facility based spacesFamily day home spaces*****
Target funded
spaces**		26,20028,00014,500
Total licensed spaces approved (Net new)26,20015,0009,800^
Allocated through Space Creation Grant***2,4962,9500
Estimated unallocated spaces010,0504,700^^
Estimated spaces in the application process****11,2275,390N/A

Chart 1. CACWELCC Agreement – Allocated licensed spaces

Space creation growth: Family day home and facility based, as of September 30, 2025

Chart data table
Date Family Day Home FB Non Profit FB For Profit FDH Allocated FB Non Profit Allocated FB For Profit Allocated Total Cap
‌2021-11-30 0 0 0 68700
2021-12-31 -100 0 0 68700
2022-01-31 200 200 700 68700
2022-02-28 600 300 1600 68700
2022-03-31 1000 300 2300 68700
2022-04-30 1300 800 2400 68700
2022-05-31 1700 1300 3000 68700
2022-06-30 1900 2000 2900 68700
2022-07-31 1500 2900 2600 68700
2022-08-31 1800 3500 2200 68700
2022-09-30 2400 4200 2500 68700
2022-10-31 2700 4400 2700 68700
2022-11-30 3000 4500 3100 68700
2022-12-31 3000 4500 3200 68700
2023-01-31 3600 4900 3600 68700
2023-02-28 3700 5000 3600 68700
2023-03-31 4100 5400 3900 68700
2023-04-30 4400 5600 3900 68700
2023-05-31 4600 5900 4400 68700
2023-06-30 4700 6200 5000 68700
2023-07-31 4500 6700 5000 68700
2023-08-31 4600 7000 5700 68700
2023-09-30 5200 7600 6500 68700
2023-10-31 5300 7800 7100 68700
2023-11-30 5400 8200 7400 68700
2023-12-31 5600 8400 7700 68700
2024-01-31 5900 8500 8800 68700
2024-02-29 5900 8800 9900 68700
2024-03-31 6200 8900 9900 68700
2024-04-30 6300 9200 9900 68700
2024-05-31 6500 9600 10500 68700
2024-06-30 6500 9800 11400 68700
2024-07-31 6200 10100 12300 68700
2024-08-31 6300 10200 14300 68700
2024-09-30 6600 10200 15100 68700
2024-10-31 6800 10300 15100 68700
2024-11-30 6800 11200 16100 68700
2024-12-31 6900 11400 16500 68700
2025-01-31 7200 11600 17700 68700
2025-02-28 7400 12200 18300 68700
2025-03-31 7700 12200 19500 68700
2025-04-30 8100 12400 21000 68700
2025-05-31 8500 12800 22900 68700
2025-06-30 8800 12800 24100 68700
2025-07-31 8800 13300 24900 68700
2025-08-31 9200 13900 25500 68700
2025-09-30 9800 15000 26200 0 2950 2496 68700
2025-10-31 68700
2025-11-30 68700
2025-12-31 68700
2026-01-31 68700
2026-02-28 68700
2026-03-31 68700
Source: Government of Alberta
Chart description

The space growth chart shows Alberta’s progress towards the space growth cap. It includes the total number of net new licensed spaces every month between November 2021 and June 2025. June 2025 also include spaces that are allocated through Space Creation Grants but not yet licensed. The chart shows that the overall space cap is 68,700 spaces, with 52,717 spaces either licensed or allocated to date. As of June 30, 2025, there are 8,774 family-based licensed or allocated spaces, 13,037 non-profit facility-based licensed or allocated spaces and 24,195 for-profit facility-based licensed or allocated spaces. The chart goes to the end of the current federal Early Learning and Child Care Agreement in March 2026.

Facility-based child care licences

How to get a licence

Contact Child Care Connect at 1-844-644-5165 to get more information on the licensing process and receive a child care licensing application package.

  • Child Care Licensing Handbook for facility-based programs

    The Child Care Licensing Handbook: Facility-based Programs provides guidance and information about:

    • how you can apply for or renew a child care licence
    • what is involved in inspecting and monitoring a licensed child care program
    • terms used in the act and regulation
    • how to appeal or dispute a licensing decision
    • how to report incidents
    • other important information to assist you with being licensed

    This handbook does not supersede the Early Learning and Child Care Act or regulation. Find the necessary forms, checklists and templates related to child care licensing below.

  • Application package for licensed facilities

    Fillable PDF forms may not open properly on some mobile devices and web browsers. See the step-by-step guide or contact PDF form technical support.

    • Application for an Early Learning and Child Care Licence - Facility-based Program or Family Day Home Agency – Main application form that you will fill out as part of your application for a new licence or to renew your existing licence. In this form you will include information about the applicant, what type of child care you are planning to provide, as well as a checklist of all the pieces you will need to compile and include in your application.
      • Note: Both partial and complete applications will be accepted. A partial application must include an application form, the $200 non-refundable fee, a program plan and the location identified. A licence will not be issued until a complete application is received, assessed and approved by licensing staff in the proposed program’s licensing zone.
    • Program plan (facility-based programs) – Outlines required submissions, including those for your staffing plan and administrative policies and procedures.
    • Child Care Subsidy Grant Application form – This is a funding agreement between your program and Education and Childcare if you will be receiving subsidy benefits on behalf of parents or guardians who qualify for subsidy.
      • Note: The Child Care Subsidy Program is no longer available for children up to kindergarten age attending child care during regular school hours. Subsidy for children in out-of-school care programs has not changed.
    • Application for EFT Direct Deposit (CAD) – Provides your financial information to allow payment of eligible claimed funding (for example, wage top-ups, and subsidy).
    • The Certification Guide for Staff – Provides guidance regarding the staff certification process and procedures.
    • Collateral information – see Step 5: Obtain the required health, municipal and safety approvals on page 17 of the Child Care Licensing Handbook for facility-based programs
    • The Early Learning and Child Care Act and Early Learning and Child Care Regulation – Sets out the minimum standards that must be met in a licensed child care program to ensure the safety, well-being and developmental needs of children are met.

    If you have any questions, or would like to receive an application package by email, contact us.

  • Licence holder information session

    If you are a first-time applicant for a facility-based licence under the act, you must complete an information session offered by Education and Childcare before you can be issued a facility-based licence. If the applicant is a corporation, one or more corporate directors, as determined by the ministry, should complete the session. You will be required to produce proof that you completed an information session.

    Through the information session, you will receive information to help you understand the licensing process, as well as an outline of the act and regulation.

Processing facility-based licence applications

After we have confirmed an application package is complete, processing may take up to 60 business days, depending on the application. From July to September 2025, the average processing time was 9 business days.

Family day home agency licences

  • How to get a licence

    Applications for a family day home agency licence are considered when the Alberta government determines there is a need for additional agencies. We are not accepting any new licensing applications for family day home agencies. This decision will be re-evaluated upon the conclusion of negotiations with the federal government on the next term of the early learning and child care agreement.

  • Child Care Licensing Handbook for family day home agencies

    The Child Care Licensing Handbook: Family Day Home Agencies provides guidance and information about:

    • how you can apply for or renew a child care licence
    • what is involved in inspecting and monitoring licensed agencies and family day home programs
    • terms used in the act and regulation
    • how to appeal or dispute a licensing decision
    • how to report incidents

    This handbook does not supersede the Early Learning and Child Care Act, Regulation, or Family Day Home Standards Manual for Alberta. Find the necessary forms, checklists and templates related to child care licensing below.

  • Application package for family day home agencies

    • Application for an Early Learning and Child Care Licence or Family Day Home Agency – This is the main application form that you will fill out as part of your application for a new licence or to renew your existing licence. In this form you will include information about the applicant, what type of child care you are planning to provide, as well as a checklist of all the pieces you will need to compile and include in your application.
      • Note: Education and Childcare is not accepting any new licensing applications from family day home agencies. This decision will be re-evaluated upon conclusion of negotiations with the federal government on the next term of the early learning and child care agreement.
    • The Early Learning and Child Care Act, Early Learning and Child Care Regulation and Family Day Home Standards Manual for Alberta set out the minimum standards that must be met in a licensed child care program to ensure the safety, well-being and developmental needs of children are met.
    • Family Day Home Agency Program Plan Template – Outlines required submissions, including those for your staffing plan and administrative policies and procedures.
    • Child Care Subsidy Grant Application form – This is a funding agreement between your program and Education and Childcare if you will be receiving subsidy benefits on behalf of parents or guardians who qualify for subsidy.
      • Note: The Child Care Subsidy Program is no longer available for children up to kindergarten age attending child care during regular school hours. Subsidy for children in out-of-school care programs has not changed.  
    • Application for EFT Direct Deposit (CAD) – Provides your financial information to allow payment of eligible claimed funding (for example, wage-top ups, and subsidy).
    • Collateral information – see Step 5: Obtain documentation of approvals in the Child Care Licensing Handbook for Family Day Home Agencies
    • Family Day Home Standards Manual – Contains the standards for operating a licensed family day home agency and for the individual family day home programs working under contract with licensed agencies to provide child care.

    Family day home contracts

    The Alberta government introduced new contracts for licensed family day home agencies, which took effect on January 1, 2025. For more information, read the FDH Agency Contract fact sheet.

Forms and templates

Become a family day home educator

There is a different process for becoming a family day home educator if you are interested in providing child care in your private residence for 6 or fewer children (not including your own) under a licensed family day home agency.

For more information, see Become a family day home educator.

Contact

Send all initial licensing applications and fees, as well as variance requests to us via:

Email: [email protected]

Mail:
Child Care Connect
J.G.O ‘Donoghue Building, 2nd Floor
7000 113 Street NW
Edmonton, Alberta  T6H 5T6

Note: No courier or in-person drop off available.

Connect with Child Care Connect if you have questions about applying for and receiving a child care licence:

Toll free: 1-844-644-5165

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