Child care is not just a social policy—it is an economic policy, too. Access to high-quality, affordable, flexible and inclusive child care will grow the economy, allow more women to enter the workforce and help give every child in Canada the best start in life. That’s why, in Budget 2021, the Government of Canada made a transformative investment of nearly $30 billion to create a Canada-wide early learning and child care system with provincial, territorial and Indigenous partners.

“Today’s announcement highlights our commitment to on-the-ground child care providers in Alberta. Our expansion plan will create spaces for parents and get children off waitlists while ensuring the reasonable use of tax dollars. We want more families with children in licensed spaces to be able to reap the benefits of more affordable child care.”

- Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Karina Gould

“Today is a win for Alberta families. Families in our province will no longer need to make choices such as going to work or taking care of their children when they are sick. Our government is working with the provincial government and Alberta’s existing child care network to build 22,500 new child care spots and provide parents flexibility and options that works for them.”

- Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance, Randy Boissonnault

“We remain fully committed to supporting the development of a child care system that works best for Alberta families by providing parents with affordable, accessible, flexible and inclusive high-quality child care. Including more private spaces in the child-care agreement is the next step in ensuring that parents have more child-care options and reducing parent fees to an average of $10 a day by 2026.”

- Mickey Amery, Minister of Children’s Services

• As part of Budget 2021, the Government of Canada made a transformative investment of more than $27 billion over five years to build a Canada-wide early learning and child care system with the provinces and territories. Combined with other investments, including in Indigenous early learning and child care, up to $30 billion over five years will be provided in support of early learning and child care.

• To support the goal of ensuring access to quality, affordable, flexible, and inclusive early learning and child care, the Government of Canada will contribute close to $3.8 billion for child care in Alberta over five years. 

• The Canada-wide vision for early learning and child care is a plan to drive economic growth, to increase participation in the workforce–especially among mothers—and to offer each child in Canada the best possible start in life.

Associated links

• Toward $10-a-Day: Early Learning and Child Care
• Canada – Alberta Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement - 2021 to 2026

For media enquiries, please contact:

Mohammad Hussain
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Karina Gould
mohammad.a.hussain@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca

Media Relations Office
Employment and Social Development Canada
819-994-5559
media@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca
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