Father Ryan Kingsley wants to see change to childcare regulations (Tiffany Goodwein/CHATNewsToday)

By Tiffany Goodwein

Father of disabled daughter calling for change to licensed child care regulations

Jul 8, 2022 | 5:44 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB- For Ryan Kingsley the past few months have been hard. That’s because he has been scrambling to find after school care for his 13 year-old disabled daughter who has Rett Syndrome.

“We realized that when Madi turned 13 she was going to what they call ” Age Out” of the program that currently offers after school programs. So we started back in September about eight months before she was to turn 13, we started having discussions at the YMCA about what we needed to do,” he said.

Kingsley was originally told that all they would need to do is apply for an exception. But he said a few months went by and they were then told by the YMCA that an exception wouldn’t be granted.

“It’s especially stressful when you have a disabled child. You know we are constantly worried about her health and all the complexities that go along with having a disabled child but then to get the added stress of, for all intents and purposes getting kicked out of a program that she requires for school, it is really really extremely frustrating,” he said.

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(submitted photo/Ryan Kingsley)

Now with no licensed child care, Kingsley has had to go elsewhere. But that’s come with a huge cost.

” We have had to hire independent contractors to come work with us and luckily the City of Medicine Hat camps have been great and allowed her to attend. But of course we are dealing with the stresses of having to hire our own workers,” he said.

The YMCA’s licensed child care programs are governed by the Government of Alberta’s childcare licensing regulations.

In a statement, the YMCA of Medicine Hat says they carefully follow all of the regulations and if they don’t, they risk being shut down.

“The Government restricts licensed child care programs to children between the ages of 0-12. Once a child turns 13, they are no longer allowed to be in a licensed childcare program anywhere in the province. Again, this is a government regulation and not a YMCA decision or choice,” said YMCA of Medicine Hat CEO Sharon Hayward.

According to the office of the minister of children’s services, licensed child care programs must provide care to children with disabilities under the Early Learning and Child Care Act.

“The Early Learning and Child Care Act allows licensed child care programs to continue the enrolment of a child with a special need or disability up to the age of 15, and Inclusive Child Care (ICC) supports such as onsite training and coaching, and access to funding for short-term engagement supports are available to help licensed child care programs accommodate children with special needs.” said Andrew Reith, spokesperson for the minister of children’s services.

But the province stressed, that once a child with a disability reaches 13, childcare providers are no longer mandated to provide that care.

The province said parents of disabled children can reach out to their local Children Services office for care support or the Family Supports For Children with Disabilities Program.

The gap in the child care system has caught the eye of MLA Drew Barnes who says he will be raising the issue in the legislature.

” Oh absolutely. I will go to the Ministers. It is Calgary Stampede time so I am expecting to see four, five of the leadership candidates and four, five ministers tomorrow,” he said.

As for Kingsley, he wants to see the regulations change, and he is not giving up on the fight.

“Part of this is to fight for every child with a disability. Not just Madi,” he said,