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Alberta investing $53 million to expand child care spaces

Jan 30, 2025 | 10:25 AM

The Alberta government is investing $53 million to expand child care spaces in the province.

With growing demand for affordable child-care spaces in Alberta, the funding will go to the the Building Blocks Capital Grant Program. According to officials, the program will create more affordable, high-quality spaces where Alberta families need them most.

The grant will provide non-profit and public child-care providers the capital to build, expand, upgrade and make repairs to their existing facilities.

Minister of Jobs, Economy and Trade Matt Jones said, “The new Building Blocks grant will help achieve the Alberta government’s goal of creating 42,500 new child-care spaces by March 2026.”

He continued, “This funding will help non-profit and public child-care providers make their programs more inclusive, create new child-care spaces and meet the diverse needs of their communities, while maintaining the high-quality care parents deserve and expect.”

The $53 million will prioritize areas with little-to-no child-care options, or underserved communities and communities with barriers to access. A top priority in the program will be for rural and remote areas.

There are two grant streams:

  • Major capital grants: For projects that cost $500,000 or more and may include new construction of a child-care facility, building expansions, substantial upgrades and the purchase, assembly, installation and delivery of a modular building structure.
  • Minor capital grants: For projects that cost less than $500,000 and may include interior and exterior renovations, upgrades, repairs, refurbishment or improvements without changes to the structure in a new or existing building.

The province will begin accepting applications for the grant on Thursday, January 30, 2025. Eligibility requirements and information on how to apply can be found online.

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