The Government of Alberta has flat monthly parent fee for child care, starting April 1, which will cost families roughly $15 a day.
"Alberta is introducing a flat monthly parent fee of $326.25 for full-time licensed child care, or roughly $15 a day," reads information released by the Government of Alberta on Jan. 30. "As part of the $3.8-billion Canada-Alberta Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement, Alberta is supporting families to access affordable child care across the province with their choice in provider."
Starting in April, parents with children between zero and kindergarten age who are attending full-time licensed daycare facilities and family day home programs will be eligible for the flat parent fee per month. Parents who require part-time care will pay $230 a month.
In order to support the changes, most licensed daycare providers will received a funding increase, once the new fees are in place.
"While Alberta already reduced parent fees to an average of $15 a day in January 2024, many families are still paying much more depending on where they live, the age of their child and the child-care provider they choose, which has led to inconsistency and confusion," reads information from the Government of Alberta. "Many families find it difficult to estimate their child-care fees if they move or switch providers, and providers have expressed concerns about the fairness and complexity of the current funding framework."
The new flat monthly fee will allow for "transparency and predictability for families in every part of the province," according to the Province.
"On behalf of families, Alberta’s government will cover about 80 per cent of child-care fees through grants to daycare facilities and family day homes. This means a family using full-time daycare could save, on average, $11,000 per child per year," according to the Government of Alberta.
The province will also be reimbursing preschools up to $100 a month per child, on the parents' behalf, which is up from $75.
The flat parent fee will replace the Child Care Subsidy Program for children zero to kindergarten age. The subsidy for children attending out-of-school care will not change.
More spaces
The province also announced on Thursday that with the help of the federal government, an investment of $53 million over two years through the Building Blocks Capital Grant Program will encourage the creation of new child-care spaces.
"The grant will provide non-profit and public child-care providers the capital to build, expand, upgrade and make repairs to their existing facilities. These improvements must support the creation of new child-care spaces," according to the Government of Alberta.
The announcement further states that funding will "prioritize the creation of new child-care spaces in high-need areas, such as areas with limited or no child-care options, or underserved communities and communities with barriers to access. Alberta’s rural and remote communities will be a top priority for funding."
Applications for the Building Blocks Capital Grant Program are being accepted starting on Jan. 30. Eligibility requirements are available online.
"Under the Canada-Alberta Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement, Alberta has committed to creating up to 68,700 child-care spaces by March 2026."
