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It’s Family Day in Alberta today (February 17th). And Matt Jones, Minister responsible for child care in Alberta, apparently wants to celebrate by making plans to leave the child care agreement that will bring $15 a day child care to the province on April 1st. And he wants to blame the federal government while he does it. But the truth is, most decisions about child care in Alberta are entirely in the hands of the provincial government.
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In a Facebook post, Minister Jones cited other reasons for planning to withdraw child care support from Alberta families. He said that the program is underfunded by Ottawa, by more than $4 billion over the next few years and that the child care agreement that Alberta voluntarily signed back in November 2021 is “unfair to the majority of child care providers”.
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The purpose of the $10 a day agreements between provinces and territories and the federal government is to ensure that low-fee child care services are available to families and children when and where they want them. Not every family wants to use child care throughout a child’s early years. But most Alberta families use child care for some time as their children grow. For instance, 61% of Alberta’s children who are 4-5 years of age and not yet in kindergarten use licensed child care. Many more want an expansion of low-fee child care services. In my opinion, Minister Jones should sign on to continue the $10 a day child care funding for Alberta parents and children.