Edmonton – Too many families across Canada lack access to high-quality, affordable, flexible and inclusive child care. That’s why the Government of Canada is working with provinces and territories, including Alberta, to provide families in Canada with $10-a-day, on average, regulated child care for children up to kindergarden age by March 2026. This is a plan to make life more affordable, create new jobs, get parents—especially mothers—back into the workforce, grow the middle class, and offer each child the best possible start in life.
Today, the Honourable Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages of Canada, on behalf of Jenna Sudds, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, joined Matt Jones, Minister of Jobs, Economy and Trade for Alberta, in Edmonton to announce that the province has reached an average fee of $15-a-day for licensed child care as of January 1, 2024.
With this fee reduction, Alberta families could now save up to $13,700 annually per child in regulated child care with the Affordability Grant and subsidy, as compared to before the signing of the Canada-Alberta Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care agreement in November 2021.
Today’s announcement means that the governments of Canada and Alberta are making child care more affordable for families in the province, working toward their goal of reaching an average fee of $10-a-day for licensed child care by 2026.
As of January 1, 2024, over half of provinces and territories are delivering regulated child care for an average of $10-a-day or less and the remaining jurisdictions have reduced fees for regulated child care by at least 50 per cent. To ensure more families can access affordable, high-quality, flexible and inclusive early learning and child care, the Government of Canada will continue to work with provincial, territorial, and Indigenous partners to strengthen the Canada-wide early learning and child care system, including work to create new child care spaces and support the early learning and child care workforce.
“Today’s announcement marks significant progress in creating a strong child care system that makes life more affordable for Alberta families. This fee reduction means families could be saving up to $13,700 a year, leaving more money in the pockets of parents to help them afford other essentials. I look forward to continuing to work with the province towards our shared goal of an average fee of $10-a-day child care so every family has access to high-quality, affordable, flexible and inclusive child care.” – Jenna Sudds, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development
“Our government heard from Canadians and took action in 2021 to lower child care fees for Albertans, saving families thousands of dollars each month. 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.” – Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages