
Publications
ECELC
Reports
Looking for in-depth information on early learning and care in Edmonton? Download and read the published reports, papers and briefs produced by, or on behalf of, the Edmonton Council for Early Learning and Care.
Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Initiative Primer (English & French Available)
This publication introduces readers to the framework for the initiative, including benefits, issues and actions to be taken as the system is built.
Ce document met en évidence les principaux avantages de l'initiative GEEPEC, les problèmes en suspens et les actions recommandées dans les cinq domaines d'intervention.
Quality in Early Learning and Child Care: Recommendations for Action
On September 26, 2024, the Community-University Partnership for the Study of Children, Youth, and Families and the ECELC hosted a knowledge-to-action workshop on early learning and child care. The workshop aimed to share results from the Alberta Parent Survey on Early Learning and Child Care and identify opportunities to improve the quality, cultural relevance, affordability, accessibility, inclusivity, and flexibility of early learning and child care. The following report reflects the key recommendations developed by participating stakeholders.
Early Learning and Child Care Knowledge to Action Workshop: Calls to Action
On September 26, 2024, the Community-University Partnership for the Study of Children, Youth, and Families and the ECELC hosted a knowledge-to-action workshop on early learning and child care. The workshop aimed to share results from the Alberta Parent Survey on Early Learning and Child Care and identify opportunities to improve the quality, cultural relevance, affordability, accessibility, inclusivity, and flexibility of early learning and child care. The following report reflects the key recommendations developed by participating stakeholders.
Edmonton Council for Early Learning and Care Annual Report: Advocacy in Action 2023/2024
This report contains a snapshot of the Edmonton Council for Early Learning and Care’s work and associated impacts between September 2023 and August 2024. It provides context to understand the significance of the ECELC’s advocacy and policy initiatives and demonstrates how the Council continues to work towards building an effective system of early learning and child care in Edmonton that is high quality, affordable, inclusive, flexible and culturally responsive while being publicly planned, regulated and funded, just like other core public services.
Report 5 - Parents’ Views About the Flexibility of Early Learning and Child Care in Alberta
Federal and provincial governments have embarked on a major undertaking to build systems of early learning and child care across Canada that meet high standards for quality, affordability, accessibility, inclusion, and flexibility. The success of this plan—the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Care (CWELCC) initiative—will depend partly on whether changes to early learning and care meet the needs and expectations of parents. To learn about parents’ views, the Alberta Parent Survey on Early Learning and Child Care was conducted in 2022 with over 1400 parents in Alberta with young children. The present report, the fifth in a series based on this survey, is focused on flexibility. Parents’ Views About the Flexibility of Early Learning and Child Care in Alberta includes detailed findings and recommendations for optimizing the way in which the CWELCC is implemented in Alberta.
Report 4 - Parents’ Views About Cultural Relevance in Early Learning and Child Care in Alberta
Federal and provincial governments have embarked on a major undertaking to build systems of early learning and child care across Canada that meet high standards for quality, affordability, accessibility, inclusion, and flexibility. The success of this plan—the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Care (CWELCC) initiative—will depend partly on whether changes to early learning and care meet the needs and expectations of parents. To learn about parents’ views, the Alberta Parent Survey on Early Learning and Child Care was conducted in 2022 with over 1400 parents in Alberta with young children. The present report, the third in a series based on this survey, is focused on accessibility. Parents’ Views About Cultural Relevance in Early Learning and Child Care in Alberta includes detailed findings and recommendations for optimizing the way in which the CWELCC is implemented in Alberta.
Report 3 - Parents’ Views About the Accessibility of Early Learning and Child Care in Alberta
Federal and provincial governments have embarked on a major undertaking to build systems of early learning and child care across Canada that meet high standards for quality, affordability, accessibility, inclusion, and flexibility. The success of this plan—the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Care (CWELCC) initiative—will depend partly on whether changes to early learning and care meet the needs and expectations of parents. To learn about parents’ views, the Alberta Parent Survey on Early Learning and Child Care was conducted in 2022 with over 1400 parents in Alberta with young children. The present report, the third in a series based on this survey, is focused on accessibility. Parents’ Views About the Accessibility of Early Learning and Child Care in Alberta includes detailed findings and recommendations for optimizing the way in which the CWELCC is implemented in Alberta.
Report 2 - Parents’ Views About the Quality of Early Learning and Child Care in Alberta
Federal and provincial governments have embarked on a major undertaking to build systems of early learning and child care across Canada that meet high standards for quality, affordability, accessibility, inclusion, and flexibility. The success of this plan—the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Care (CWELCC) initiative—will depend partly on whether changes to early learning and care meet the needs and expectations of parents. To learn about parents’ views, the Alberta Parent Survey on Early Learning and Child Care was conducted in 2022 with over 1400 parents in Alberta with young children. The present report, the second in a series based on this survey, is focused on quality. Parents’ Views About the Quality of Early Learning and Child Care in Alberta includes detailed findings and recommendations for optimizing the way in which the CWELCC is implemented in Alberta.
Report 1 - Parents’ Views About the Affordability of Early Learning and Child Care in Alberta
Federal and provincial governments have embarked on a major undertaking to build systems of early learning and child care across Canada that meet high standards for quality, affordability, accessibility, inclusion, and flexibility. The success of this plan—the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Care (CWELCC) initiative—will depend partly on whether changes to early learning and care meet the needs and expectations of parents. To learn about parents’ views, the Alberta Parent Survey on Early Learning and Child Care was conducted in 2022 with over 1400 parents in Alberta with young children. The present report, one in a series based on this survey, is focused on affordability. Parents’ Views About the Affordability of Early Learning and Child Care in Alberta includes detailed findings and recommendations for optimizing the way in which the CWELCC is implemented in Alberta.
Summary: Questions About Alberta’s Cost-Control Framework and For-Profit Expansion Plan
The Cost Control Framework and For-Profit Expansion Plan, released in January 2023, is intended to be an important step in implementing Alberta’s version of a Canada-wide system of early learning and child care. This two-page summary of Questions About the Cost-Control Framework and For-Profit Expansion Plan provides a brief overview of (a) the cost-control framework and expansion plan and (b) six critical questions that must be addressed as Alberta attempts to build an effective system of early learning and child care.
Questions About Alberta’s Cost-Control Frameworkand For-Profit Expansion Plan
The Cost Control Framework and For-Profit Expansion Plan, released in January 2023, is intended to be an important step in implementing Alberta’s version of a Canada-wide system of early learning and child care. It provides insights into the intentions of the Alberta government, but the absence of critical details makes it difficult to anticipate what lies ahead.
Journeys through early learning and child care in Edmonton: The Experiences of ethnocultural families
In January 2021, we launched the Journeys Project. The Journeys Project is a collaboration between the Multicultural Health Brokers Cooperative, the Community-University Partnership and the Edmonton Council for Early Learning and Care. The aim of the project was to gather rich firsthand accounts of the experiences of ethnocultural parents with young children (birth to 5 years old) in early learning and childcare (ELCC) in Edmonton. The Journeys Project drew on the cultural brokering practice and intercultural expertise of the MCHB. We engaged 30 parents from 6 ethnocultural communities: Kurdish-speaking, Eritrean and Ethiopian, Bhutanese Filipino, Spanish-speaking, and Chinese-speaking.
Still Unaffordable for Low-Income Families? In Alberta’s new child care system, out-of-pocket fee reductions are smaller for lower-income 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%.
Why and How Cities Matter to ELC
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.
Recommended Actions for Alberta Children’s Services in Support of Early Learning and Care
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.
Still More Work to be Done: A Brief Analysis of the 2021 Changes to Alberta’s Child Care Subsidies
In this brief, Rob Buschmann provides an overview and analysis of the September 2021 changes to Alberta's child care subsidies.
Recommended Actions for the City of Edmonton in Support of Early Learning and Care: Rationale
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.
Recommended Actions for Education
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.
Quality Indicators and Dispositions in the Early Learning and Child Care Sector: Learning from Indigenous and Newcomer Families: Final Report
Authors Chelsea Freeborn, MEd., Alvina Mardhani-Bayne, PhD., and Cheyanne Soetaert provide an overview of the joint research between Edmonton Council for Early Learning and Care (ECELC) and MacEwan University and findings.
Leading from the Field: Practices to Support Indigenous and Newcomer Families
Authors Chelsea Freeborn, MEd., Alvina Mardhani-Bayne, PhD., and Cheyanne Soetaert conducted case studies with child care directors and senior staff to ascertain how support for Indigenous and newcomer families can be realized in Edmonton child care contexts.