This 1-page document summarizes the issues with the new system and suggests some options to make child care more affordable for all Alberta families. 

The Government of Alberta has released its plan to reduce child care fees in Alberta by an average of 50% by early 2022. Under this plan, every family’s out-of-pocket fees will decrease, but lower-income families will not see a 50% decrease—and some may see a decrease of less than 15%.

The Edmonton Council of Early Learning and Care conducted a review of how municipalities in Canada support, promote, and ensure early learning and care. This document provides a brief summary of some ways in which local governments can include early learning and care in policy and planning.

In this report, Margot R. Challborn examines the role of municipalities in creating and leading early learning and care policy development. Specifically, this report outlines why cities can and should play a role in early learning and care.

In this brief, Rob Buschmann, Miranda Brown, and Gordon Cleveland provide an overview and analysis of the two major federal early learning and child care plans (Liberal and Conservative) and analyze their effects on early learning and child care affordability for an example family in Calgary. Both the Liberal and Conservative plans would help, but the Liberal plan would make early learning and child care considerably more affordable for the example family at all levels of income.

The Edmonton Council for Early Learning and Care recommends 13 actions that can be taken by Alberta Children’s Services and that will support many families, contribute to economic and social recovery from the COVID pandemic, and help to address some of the critical priorities of EndPovertyEdmonton.

In this brief, Rob Buschmann provides an overview and analysis of the September 2021 changes to Alberta's child care subsidies.

The Edmonton Council for Early Learning and Care has identified 10 recommended actions that can be taken by the City of Edmonton in support of early learning and care.

The Edmonton Council for Early Learning and Care recommends 5 actions that can be taken by School Boards and that will support many families, contribute to economic and social recovery from the COVID pandemic, and help to address some critical educational priorities.

The Edmonton Council for Early Learning and Care recommends 10 actions that can be taken by the City of Edmonton and that will support many families, contribute to economic and social recovery from the COVID pandemic, and help to address some critical municipal priorities.

In this brief, Rob Buschmann and Jennifer Fischer-Summers provide an overview of the latest fees for licensed early learning and care in Calgary. They show that 2020 continues an ongoing trend of early learning and care fees outpacing inflation in the city since 2014. Finally, they discuss what fees in Calgary might look like in 2021.

In this brief, Rob Buschmann and Jennifer Fischer-Summers provide an update on the latest fees for licensed early learning and care in Edmonton. They also show that 2020 continues an ongoing trend of early learning and care fees outpacing inflation in the city since 2014. Finally, they discuss what fees in Edmonton might look like in 2021.

In Quality Early Learning and Care Depends on Qualified Early Childhood Educators, Marie Lesoway summarizes the arguments, evidence, and key recommendations from two recent and extensive reports.

In Regulations Can Support Quality Early Learning and Child Care, Marie Lesoway highlights some of the critical elements from the Beach report, including issues in defining and implementing measures to support quality. Lesoway also summarizes specific recommendations regarding staff qualifications, child-to-staff ratios and group sizes, physical environments, and curriculum frameworks.

ECELC members and CUP Research Associate Rob Buschmann and Research Assistant Jennifer Fischer-Summers recently co-authored a 1-page brief with researchers at the University of Calgary's School of Public Policy on child care subsidy changes.

The Child Care Act and Regulation provides the legislative basis for early learning and care in Alberta. The Act has undergone review by the Ministry of Children’s Services, and a new Act was tabled in the Legislature in November 2020. This report is a comprehensive review of how jurisdictions can, and do, support quality in early learning and care through a combination of regulation and other policy vehicles and mechanisms.

Provides an introduction to child care subsidies in Alberta, outlines and analyzes some of the recent changes to subsidies, provides suggestions for improving the subsidy system and the general affordability of early learning and care in Alberta, and concludes by providing some perspective on the role of affordability within a high-quality early learning and care system.

Provides an introduction to child care subsidies in Alberta, outlines and analyzes some of the recent changes to subsidies, provides suggestions for improving the subsidy system and the general affordability of early learning and care in Alberta, and concludes by providing some perspective on the role of affordability within a high-quality early learning and care system.

This brief describes three reasons that early learning and care should be a core part of any Edmonton-specific COVID-19 recovery plan.

This brief highlights particular questions surrounding the affordability of early learning and care in day homes during and after the COVID-19 crisis.