The Alberta government has made a commitment to early childhood educators (ECEs) to keep them in the childcare sector and attract more to the field.
Minister of Children’s Services Mickey Amery announced that eligible ECEs who have claimed hours in October and November of this year and worked an average of more than 30 hours will receive a one-time payment of $900. Those who have worked fewer than 30 hours will receive a payment of $450.
On top of the one-time payment, ECEs will receive a wage top-up of $2 per hour commencing on January 1, 2023.
“The Government of Alberta supports parental choice in childcare and the workers who help provide it. This announcement will help retain staff who are currently caring for our children and attract new workers in child care. Because every dollar matters, this one-time payment will provide affordability relief for these hardworking Albertans heading into Christmas and the new year,” said Amery in a press release.
He says the plan has been in the works for some time and stems from negotiations with the federal government of Canada and Alberta Early Childhood Agreement.
The funds provided represents an investment of over $174 million in federal and provincial funding to the end of the 2025-2026 fiscal year.
“We are implementing some of these policies within that program, and one of those is to provide support to our ECEs and recognize the contributions they have made, the sacrifices they have made and to recognize that things are becoming less affordable to all Albertans, especially those who are in this industry,” he said.
Part of the program Amery says is to support communities to meet the demand for affordable childcare spaces in large and small centres.
“We have a $50 million grant per year, which is allocated to provide daycare operators with grant funding through Children’s Services to help fund or finance start-ups when it comes to daycare programs, and the priorities that we are emphasizing with the approval of these grants is specifically for high demand rural and difficult to reach locations in this province,” said Amery. “I would encourage all operators to contact to make the application and come forward with a proposal that we can support and release these grant programs.”
The announcement came on the heels of Premier Danielle Smith’s address which stated they would be reindexings AISH, Income Support, the Alberta Seniors Benefit and Alberta Child and Family Benefit (ACFB). This was a policy that was suspended by the previous government.
“When we were first elected into office, we collectively as a government agreed we had inherited a province with a dire financial circumstance, significant expenditures, … I would characterize as a fiscal mess. We had to take action and certainly had to make difficult decisions. With that being said I recognize the importance of ensuring that our social programs grow and keep with the times, and that was why I was so much in favour of reindexing the ACFB,” said Amery.
“The commitment I can make to you is this. I was fully in support of reindexing the ACFB so that is in line with the consumer price index and will continue to do that so long as I am in this position.”
