An additional 221 child care spaces will be added in north-central Alberta, including eight overnight spaces, serving the communities of Whitecourt, Edson, Hinton, Westlock, and Boyle.
The Alberta government is expanding child care options for working parents and has allocated $9.7 million in grants for operators to create 1,500 more spaces province-wide in licenced family day homes and facility-based daycare centres, including overnight care.
Overnight child care spaces were made possible under the Early Learning and Child Care Act, which came into force on February 1.
“This is great news for working families who are truly essential to Alberta’s economy. Working parents need more access to child care, including overnight care, that works when they do,” said Premier Jason Kenney.
Through the Early Learning and Child Care agreement with the federal government, these 1,500 new and flexible child care spaces in licenced programs will create about 200 direct jobs for child care providers. Parameters and operational plans for overnight care will be developed in collaboration with operators.
Grants will be awarded by March 31. Successful applicants will use the funding to increase the number of children they can care for in centres through renovations, opening new daycares and day homes, or adding capacity for overnight child care.
In addition to the child care spaces announced for north-central Alberta, the capacity-building grants will also include child care spaces in the following locations:
- 168 in the City of Calgary, including 15 overnight spaces.
- 189 in the Calgary area serving High River, Strathmore, and others, including 19 overnight spaces.
- 185 in central Alberta serving Camrose, Olds, Red Deer, Rocky Mountain House, and Viking, including 22 overnight spaces.
- 50 in the City of Edmonton.
- 206 in the Edmonton area serving Sherwood Park, St. Albert, and Sturgeon County, including 24 overnight spaces.
- 295 in northeast Alberta serving Fort McMurray, including 55 overnight spaces.
- 58 in northwest Alberta serving Falher, Grande Prairie, and Valleyview.
- 168 in southern Alberta serving Bassano, Brooks, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, and Taber, including 39 overnight spaces.
