A new Supporting Alberta Working Parents Advisory Group has been announced by the province on Thursday, April 22.
Minister of Children’s Services Rebecca Schulz will head the group to provide initiatives to help working parents, particularly women, be part of Alberta’s economic recovery; the group is made up of eight representatives from across the province, including Drumheller’s Mayor Heather Colberg.
“I met (Minister Schulz) during the Women in Politics Zoom meeting, and I was honoured to be asked by the Minister to be part of this group,” Mayor Colberg says.
Mayor Colberg is the only municipal leader on the group and joins representatives from Hines Health Services, Edmonton Chamber of Commerce, Boys & Girls Clubs, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Edmonton & Area, YWCA Calgary, Calgary Immigrant Women’s Association, Alberta Association of Child Care Operators, and Families That Work.
Although her own children are now grown, Mayor Colberg says she still understands the struggle that comes from trying to raise a young family while also working--whether in or out of the home.
“I was very lucky when my children were growing up. My husband was a farmer, and we were ahead of the curve (at Hi-Way 9) with working from home,” she says. As a rural municipal leader she also understands the unique challenges faced by rural working parents.
Mayor Colberg encourages anyone to reach out to her at mayor@drumheller.ca with ideas about how to better support and help working parents across the province; these ideas will then be brought before the advisory group and Minister Schulz for further development into initiatives and programs to help working families.
