Excerpts
Child care funding in Alberta is unsustainable without more money and flexibility from the federal government, according to Minister of Jobs, Economy, and Trade Matt Jones.
In a letter to Jenna Sudds, the federal minister of Families, Children, and Social Development dated Feb. 10, Jones said without increased funding and flexibility, “Alberta will be unable to proceed with a renewal”
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In an e-mailed statement, Geneviève Lemaire, press secretary for Minister Sudds, said the federal government is offering certainty by “extending agreements and delivering more funding to keep building and growing the system, cutting wait lists, and saving families thousands of dollars. Things have gotten more expensive over the past few years; these new offers take that into account.”
“If Minister Jones wants to walk away from a program that helps over 100,000 Alberta families save up to $11,000 per child every year, that’s on him. But he can look parents in the eye and explain why he’s throwing their savings and child care stability out the window,” said Lemaire.
In previous years, Alberta had an affordability grant which all families were eligible for; and an income-based subsidy program which further reduced or eliminated fees for families earning up to $180,000. The subsidy was scrapped in favour of a flat fee of $326.25 for all parents regardless of income beginning April 1, 2025.
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