Mickey Amery, minister of childrens services, speaks at the Kepler Academy Early Learning and Child Care in Edmonton.

By Brendan Miller

Alberta private child care providers now eligible for government funding

Jan 31, 2023 | 5:24 PM

Relief for parents who are struggling to find licensed and affordable child care is on the way.

The federal and provincial governments have announced $3.8 billion of additional funding for child care providers in Alberta over the next five years.

Almost immediately, private child care providers in the province will begin to receive funding under the ongoing Alberta-Canada Wide Learning and Child Care (ACELCC) agreement.

Previously only non-profit spaces were eligible for funding. Now, 1,600 private spaces will be eligible for additional funding to open new spaces for children.

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The government says that funding should provide support to child care programs overwhelmed with demand.

“We believe parents should always be able to choose the type of childcare that best meets their needs and that public funding for our child care sector should be as exclusive as possible,” said Mickey Amery, minister of childrens services.

Looking forward, the ACELCC agreement expects to add a total of 68,700 new spaces in Alberta by March 2026.

The agreement will also ensure parents will pay an average of $10-a-day for child care by March 2026.