Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. (Government of Alberta)

By David Opinko

BREAKING: Alberta & Ottawa announce $10/day child care program

Nov 15, 2021 | 10:55 AM

EDMONTON, AB – The federal and provincial governments have made a significant announcement regarding child care in Alberta.

Federal officials, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, joined Premier Jason Kenney in Edmonton.

Trudeau announced that the total investment from the federal government will be $3.8-billion.

“All families should have access to affordable child care. That is why we’re making $10–a–day child care a reality across the country. Today’s agreement with Alberta is an important step forward to delivering on our Canada-wide early learning and child care system, which will create jobs, grow the middle class, and give our kids the best start in life.”

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Within the next five years, Trudeau says $10 per day child care will be a reality in all areas of the province.

By the end of next year, child care fees will be cut in half.

The governments aim to create 42,500 new child care and early learning spaces in Alberta by the end of March 2026, and as well as 250,000 country-wide.

Premier Jason Kenney says this deal is one that is good for all Albertans.

“The province has secured a deal that allows Alberta parents to have the type of child care that works best for them, which has been a key element of any deal that this government would sign. This means that all types of licensed child care for kids aged, up to kindergarten, like pre-schools, day care, and licensed family day homes, will now be supported through this deal with the federal government.”

Funding will be available for those with specific needs such as linguistic, cultural, and special learning supports.

As part of the program, the prime minister says the wage grid will be updated “so that early childhood educators get the kind of training, support, and wages they need to contribute in such an important way.”

The advocacy group, Public Interest Alberta, heralded the joint announcement, with Executive Director Bradley Lafortune calling it a “game-changer.”

“Far too many women have had to make the difficult decision to leave the workforce because of sky-high child care costs, and COVID has only deepened the ‘she-cession’. If we want to build back better coming out of the pandemic, then we need a recovery that puts women first. And this framework agreement begins to set the stage for that kind of recovery.”

The Government of Canada has now reached similar agreements with nine provinces and territories, representing approximately 60 per cent of the country’s children.

The federal government estimates that families will save $5,000 per child per year by 2025/26.

Full details are available on the Alberta Government’s website here.