EXCEPRTS:
Alberta is raising the income threshold for families eligible for
subsidized daycare, meaning more families will be able to receive
subsidies for child care starting April 1.
Budget measures announced earlier this month mean that about 9,000
families will receive new or increased funding to help offset the cost
of accessing quality child care, said Dave Hancock, Minister of Human
Services.
"Making child care more affordable will make a meaningful difference for working parents," said Premier Alison Redford.
On April 1, the household income that qualifies families to receive
maximum subsidy will increase from $35,100 to $50,000, meaning that
26,000 subsidies will go to low-income and middle-income families in
2012-13.
"Access to affordable quality child care is a priority for working
parents; and we will continue working with the child care community to
look for innovative ways to increase the number of licensed and approved
spaces across the province as we go forward," said Hancock.
The changes mean that more than 4,000 families currently receiving a
child care subsidy will see an increase to their subsidy rate; with
3,200 of them going to maximum subsidy. And about 5,000 new families
will apply and be approved for subsidy in 2012-13, the government said.
Currently, a one-parent family with a household income of $50,000 and
a three-year-old in day care qualifies for a $132 per month subsidy to
help with the cost of child care. Effective April 1, this same family
will qualify for $546 a month, an increase of $414 monthly.
-reprinted from CBC news