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susancake
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Raising Alberta

Making $10-a-Day Child Care Work in Our Province

 

Since Alberta signed the $10-a-day Child Care deal, officially known as the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Plan (CWELCC), reports on the results have been mixed. While many parents have benefited from reduced fees, some providers have voiced concerns about the program, and the Alberta government has complained that the federal agreement is overly restrictive. This report examines the progress made under the $10-a-day plan in Alberta, identifies persistent challenges, and outlines actionable recommendations to build a more effective and equitable child-care system.

The implementation of CWELCC has brought several notable successes. Parents accessing the system have experienced a reduction in fees, making child care more affordable for many families. Additionally, Alberta has increased its number of licensed child-care spaces, creating opportunities for more families to access licensed care than ever before. These developments mark important steps toward a more accessible child-care framework in the province.

Despite these gains, Alberta’s child-care system faces significant challenges. The funding formula used by the province is deeply flawed. In an attempt to control costs, the provincial government is trying to define a base level of care, hoping to shift additional costs back to parents or providers. At the same time, for-profit providers in Alberta are resisting a system that reduces their control over their businesses and requires accountability for government funding.

The main issues with the $10-a-day child-care system lie with the Alberta government, which maintains jurisdictional control over child care and retains significant authority over its design and management, even as federal funding — now the majority of child-care financing in the province — comes with conditions on its use.

Many of these issues can be addressed at the provincial level, such as fixing the funding formula and tying funding to quality care. Collaborating with municipal governments and school boards can further optimize space creation, and implementing Flight: Alberta’s Early Learning and Care Framework would contribute to enhancing quality. Additionally, the province is well-positioned to introduce a wage grid for early childhood educators, as well as a pension and extended medical plans, as seen in other provinces. Increased provincial resources could also help connect families to available spaces and reduce wait times.

Before the $10-a-day program, Alberta faced high parent fees, limited licensed spaces, and low pay for Early Childhood Educators, leading to high turnover and burnout in the sector. Significant progress has been made, but building a robust system takes time. The $10-a-day child care can work in Alberta. However, while its success will require a committed effort from all levels of government, the province has considerable room to enhance its role and address the challenges ahead.

 

Recommendations

Several key strategies can help the province make $10-a-day child care work in our province:  

  1. Increase Provincial Funding 
    Increase the provincial government funding so that it becomes a 50-50 partner with the federal government in Alberta’s early learning and child-care sector.

  2. Mandate a Curriculum Framework
    Mandate the curriculum framework Flight: Alberta’s Early Learning and Care Framework for all providers receiving government funding. Currently, Alberta’s child-care legislation does not require any set curriculum, while other provinces do.

  3. Incentivize Quality Through Grants
    Redesign the government grants and the parent subsidy system to focus on incentivizing quality, which could be based on Alberta’s prior Accreditation Program.

  4. Restrict Expansion Grants for Problem Providers
    Restrict expansion grants to providers/owners who have had a history of quality issues or repeated regulatory violations.

  5. Support Expansion with Capital and Operating Grants
    Create a capital funding program supported by operating grants to encourage the expansion of child care throughout Alberta and to fund required renovations.

  6. Incentivize Care in Low-Income Communities
    Offer additional financial incentives for providers to set up more spaces in low-income communities.

  7. Collaborate with Municipalities and School Boards
    Partner with municipal governments and school boards to plan, develop, and deliver high-quality child care to all communities, modelled after the public education system.

  8. Implement Workforce Supports
    Implement a wage grid, pension, and workplace benefits for Early Childhood Educators (ECEs) to encourage them to stay in the sector and further develop their skills.

  9. Introduce Professional Development Requirements
    Create a licensing requirement for ECEs that includes funded professional development hours each year and easier pathways for career advancement.

  10. Develop Advanced Accreditation for ECEs
    Develop an ECE Level 4 accreditation that recognizes high-quality Early Learning and Child Care Bachelor programs offered in Alberta.

  11. Offer Student Loan Forgiveness for Rural ECEs
    Create a student loan forgiveness program for ECEs who achieve higher education and work in rural and remote communities, with further financial incentives for undergoing additional training and working in underserved communities.

  12. Create a Child-Care Database
    Develop an online database that allows parents to find child care, including an interactive map of care, current capacity, vacancies, and quality measures.

  13. Establish a Centralized Waitlist
    Develop a centralized waitlist for all families looking for care, enabling the province to know how many families are looking for care and how long they wait.

  14. Move Away From the Cost Control Framework
    Abandon the proposed Cost Control Framework, which could increase parent fees through additional charges and incentivize operators to cater to higher-paying families, blocking lower-income families from accessing care.

 

Susan Cake

Susan Cake is an assistant professor in human resources and labour relations. Susan has been with Athabasca University since 2020. Prior to joining AU, Susan was a worker advocate specializing in the areas of occupational health and safety, workers’ compensation systems, and pensions. Susan’s research interests include union relevance and renewal, care work, and early learning and child care. Susan is the current chair of Child Care Now Alberta and a board member of Child Care Now.

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