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More than 9,400 new child-care spaces were created in Alberta over the last 12 months, bringing the province more than half way to its three-year goal of 14,000 new spaces, the government said Tuesday.
More than 1,100 new staff opted to work in Alberta’s licensed or approved child-care programs in that same year, Alberta Children and Youth Services officials reported.
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Last May, as many parents around the province struggled to find day cares or day homes with space for their children, the province unveiled its three-year plan to improve the number of quality child-care spaces in Alberta.
The plan included higher wage top-ups for workers in the child-care field, more subsidies for parents and money for day cares to create the extra spaces.
The space creation innovation fund, for example, offers up to $1,500 for each new space, money that can be used to help offset the costs like minor renovations and purchasing supplies, equipment and toys.
Licensed day care centres, pre-schools, out-of-school care and approved family day homes qualified for funding.
Out-of-school care programs set up the most new spaces in the last 12 months, adding spots for 3,229 children.
Day cares created 2,558 new spaces, while pre-schools reported 2,007 new spaces and approved family day homes reported 753 new spaces.
Another 892 children received kin child care through a subsidy that helps low- and middle- income families pay a relative to care for their child outside the family home. Another 10 spaces were created in group family child care, which allows two caregivers to care for seven to 10 children in a home setting.
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- reprinted from the Calgary Herald