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A new report by Alberta Children's Services says many day cares in the province are operating at less than half capacity because they can't find workers.
The province surveyed hundreds of day-care providers and found 84 per cent were having difficulties finding qualified workers, according to a report released Wednesday.
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Nearly nine out of 10 child-care operators surveyed for the report said demand is outstripping the supply of child-care spaces.
Critical shortages in child-care spaces were reported in rural, aboriginal, francophone and northern communities, as well as in rapidly growing towns and cities such as Fort McMurray, Grande Prairie, Calgary and Cochrane, according to the report.
"In every focus group, operators indicated that they were running at less than full capacity because they are unable to recruit and retain qualified staff. The problem is particularly acute for infant spaces, which require higher staff-to-child ratios," reads the report.
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Despite the province's booming population growth, day-care spots in Alberta dropped seven per cent between 1992 and 2004, according to Statistics Canada.
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- reprinted from CBC News