Alberta has reached an average fee of $15-a-day for licensed child care as of Jan. 1, 2024. (Pexels)

By Eli J. Ridder | @EliRidder

‘Saving up to $13.7K per year’: Alberta reaches $15/day child care milestone

Mar 15, 2024 | 2:22 PM

Alberta families are saving thousands of dollars annually as the province reaches a $15-per-day for child care average, officials from both levels of government said Thursday.

The low average rate, reached Jan. 1, are a symptom of the province’s efforts to reach a federally-mandated $10-per-day objective by March 2026.

“High-quality, affordable and accessible child care continues to be a cornerstone of Alberta’s ongoing success in both attracting new citizens and growing the economy,” Jones said.

“Through the affordability grant and child care subsidy, Alberta families are saving up to $13,700 per year at a time when the cost of almost everything else is going up,” he added.

“We will continue to work collaboratively with the federal government to ensure quality child care in Alberta is sustainable for providers, affordable for Alberta families and where children can thrive.”

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Last year, daycare costs were about $25 on average.

Provinces and territories have been working with the federal Liberal government since 2021 to bring $10-a-day to every part of Canada. Alberta signed an agreement with $3.8 billion in federal funding over five years.

Since the signing of the agreement, as of December 2023, about 22,000 net new spaces have been created in Alberta. All of these spaces have been funded under the Canada-Alberta Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement.

MP Randy Boissonnault said the new average rate has a huge impact amid uncertain economic conditions.

“Providing $15 a day child care is a life changer – allowing parents to return to work, children to receive adequate care and learning opportunities and to allow our economy to grow,” Boissonnault said.