Alberta renews federal funding for child care, has yet to sign up for Ottawa's subsidy plan
Alberta will continue to get money from Ottawa for its child care program, but has not yet signed up for its share of $27-billion federal pot for such services, much to the Official Opposition's criticism.
The province announced on Friday a renewal of the Canada–Alberta Early Learning and Child Care Agreement, which will see the federal government provide more than $100 million for program subsidies and recruitment this year.
According to Children's Services Minister Rebecca Schulz, $45 million will be used to make child care more affordable for working parents and $56 million will be spent on professional development and workforce recovery and retention.
She called the extension a "great first step" in negotiations with Ottawa.
But the NDP was quick to point out Alberta hadn't yet accessed federal funding B.C. and Nova Scotia are using to implement $10/day child care programs.
- B.C. child care to cost $10-a-day on average in 5 years, leaders promise
- N.S. becomes second province to sign on to federal Liberals' child-care subsidy plan
The two provinces were the first to take advantage of a national program Justin Trudeau's Liberal government introduced in April to cut fees and create spaces. Trudeau pledged $27.2 billion over five years to the initiative in the most recent budget.
Alberta NDP Leader Rachel Notley figures Alberta's UCP government leaves about $1 million on the table each day it doesn't take advantage of the money pot, and called Friday's announcement a "bait and switch."
When asked why Alberta hadn't yet worked out a deal with Ottawa, Schulz said the province "didn't have quite all the information that some of the other provinces had" but that it had received a term sheet this week outlining the parameters of the funding and could soon start negotiations officially.
She said her government was working to make sure Albertans had a variety of options. "
"Alberta is not the only province looking for flexibility," the minister told CTV News Edmonton. "We know that every province has a different system and parents have different needs, so we are very optimistic we can get a fair deal.
"We know that childcare matters. Access to high quality, safe, affordable childcare absolutely matters for Alberta working parents, but especially for women."
Notley called the suggestion that a $10/day program would be one-size-fits-all trite, inaccurate and unrealistic.
"(The Canada–Alberta Early Learning and Child Care Agreement) is a lovely funding program but it is not going to make any significant change in the lives of people who are looking for either a $25/day program or $10/day program," she told press.
"The longer the UCP waits on this deal, the worse off Albertans will be."
According to Schulz, Alberta spends about $400 million each year on child care, a large chunk of which -- $280 million – is used to subsidize the cost on families.
Parents with an income of $75,000 or less have access to subsidies, which brings the cost down to about $13 a day, Schulz said.
Recent studies pin the monthly cost per child at around $1,000 – roughly $30 a day.
Jennifer Usher, industry expert with the Association of Early Childhood Educators of Alberta, told CTV News Edmonton that the deal means Albertans are still relying on subsidies to make childcare affordable – which comes with gaps in the system.
“A middle income family, you may not be eligible for the subsidy, and so then you’re having to pay the full cost,” Usher said.
“It is not building a true (childcare) system, and it does not truly address affordability for families.”
With files from CTV News Edmonton's Jeremy Thompson
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Parliamentary report on Emergencies Act decision is 18 months past due — and counting
The erstwhile group of senators and MPs studying the federal government's invocation of the Emergencies Act over the "Freedom Convoy" was supposed to present its findings in December. December of 2022, that is.
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
A candidate for Germany's key party was beaten up while campaigning for European elections
A candidate for Chancellor Olaf Scholz's center-left party in next month's election for the European Parliament was beaten up and seriously injured while campaigning in an eastern city, the party said Saturday.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.