Medicine Hat daycare providers meet to discuss financial struggles with new affordability grant program structure. (Kevin Kyle/CHAT News)

By Jesse Gill

Medicine Hat daycare providers facing uncertainty amid new Alberta affordability grant program

Jan 22, 2024 | 5:15 PM

A group of five local child care providers met Monday to discuss ways to keep their doors open.

They are required to sign the Alberta government’s affordability grant program by the end of January or will lose grant funding.

These grants replace a portion of the funding their clients pay and also top up wages for early childhood educators.

The agreement requires them to reduce parent fees by 28 per cent immediately and wait 45 days for repayment.

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Providers said there are a lot of uncertainties surrounding this new framework and the impact it will have.

Jennifer Paul, Owner and Director at Mother Nature’s Preschool said they would like more transparency as they have had to adjust staff paydays to help stay afloat.

“I have not been taking a wage and living off my own savings, just to stay afloat with inflationary costs,” Paul said.

“The government’s really put us in a bind,” she added.

“You know, they say we can increase our fees 3% a year. But inflation is higher than that.”

Providers are also solely responsible and required to pay thousands for reviews or audits when participating in the program.

The meeting was originally scheduled to include Cypress-Medicine Hat MLA Justin Wright.

He will instead meet individually with the providers later this week, with most scheduled for Friday.