Child Services Critic Rahki Pancholi calls for the implementation of $10/day child care at Building Blocks Daycare in Grande Prairie (photo by Liam Verster)

By Liam Verster

Affordable Child Care

NDP, Grande Prairie parents and child care providers call for $10/day child care

Jul 23, 2021 | 3:16 PM

The Opposition NDP visited Grande Prairie parents and child care providers Friday to call for Alberta to work with the federal government in implementing $10/day child care.

Just before the official opposition could make the announcement, the UCP released details on extending a bilateral funding agreement with the Feds to provide $25/day child care, an initiative first piloted in 2017.

Child Services Critic and MLA for Edmonton-Whitemud Rahki Pancholi was also in Grande Prairie Friday, who says while expanding the program is positive, it’s not enough, and it’s time to move forward.

“We really need to progress from this provincial government and reach a deal with the Federal Government to make child care more affordable right now. That’s what we’re hoping for but it’s not what we’re seeing,” says Pancholi.

Executive Director of Building Blocks Lindsay Campbell says it would be beneficial to Albertans, particularly in Grande Prairie, where the population is very young, to take advantage of the federal government’s plan.

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“In the Federal Budget we have never seen the money allocated to child care that came out with this budget. So this is now coming right from Ottawa wanting to work with all of Canada to get child care affordable for families,” says Campbell.

She goes on to say under the province’s now-extended $25/day model they were able to hire good, well educated staff, and still have their programs fully funded.

“Our goal is to ensure our costs are made, but any money that’s left over gets reinvested in our program. It doesn’t line anybody’s pocket. We try to keep our fees as reasonable as we can.”

She adds not many child care providers work with infants, but with government funding it would allow more child care centres to reinvest and expand their services.

Pancholi, who has two children, says she understands the strain child care costs can put on families, particularly working class families.

“I was a working mother with two kids in child care, paid more than a mortgage payment every month for four years to have two kids in child care, and that’s the reality for so many working parents,” she said. “What really happens is for families that can’t afford that, they simply choose for one of the parents, usually the mom, to step out of the workforce. Or they try to patchwork together something through other arrangements.

“That’s bad for working families, it’s not great for our economy. We want more people out in the workforce, we want to increase our GDP and our tax base. It also means kids aren’t having access to quality early learning opportunities to get them more ready for school.”

Campbell echoes Pancholi’s sentiment that having more access to government-backed affordable child care will help grow the economy in the short term, but goes on to add that it will also help in the long run.

“If parents are saving money on child care, they’re reinvesting in other elements of Alberta’s economy and we’re maintaining more (people) in the workforce. So whether you have kids or not, there is a benefit to all Albertans having a universal child care system in place.”

Campbell says there is also a definite need for child care, especially in Grande Prairie where the population is quite young, as Building Blocks currently has a wait list of between 250 and 300 kids. She says having federal funding available will allow child care centres to expand their programs and be able to provide more opportunities for families to access them.

Pancholi adds the time to get involved in the federal government’s initiative may be limited in the event of an election, and Alberta needs to sign the agreement and bring $10/day child care to Alberta.