OVERVIEW
At long last, the federal and provincial governments have finally announced the details of a new Alberta Child Care Agreement.
And this agreement has many unlicensed child care providers worried about their futures as private dayhome providers in this province.
Some details of the agreement:
-Parent fees reduced by half beginning in January 2022
-Creation of 42,500 licensed spaces in non-profit and family dayhomes
-Supported ECE workforce with wage grid
-$10/day fees by 2026
Learn how you can get involved in the conversation and have your voice heard.
UNIVERSAL CHILD CARE MEANS AFFORDABLE CHILD CARE FOR ALL.
WRITE TO YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS
We’re all guilty of firing off on Facebook about changes and policies that impact the unlicensed dayhome community. But what are we doing with that energy? Are we making use of it by writing to our elected officials or are we sitting back and relying on others to do it? If we aren’t each making an effort to have our voices heard – nobody is hearing us. And we’re stronger in numbers so it’s important to not sit idle and expect other members of our community to do the work. Not sure how to write to an elected official? You’ll want to check out these letter-writing templates we’ve created for you. PROVIDERS and PARENTS.
GET INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITY
The government of Alberta wants to pretend that we don’t exist. We can prove them wrong by being active members of our community. Organize meetups. Mentor dayhome providers in your area. Join networking events. We are only as strong as our community – so we must commit to nurturing it and seeing it grow. Want to get involved in the dayhome community in a meaningful way? Check out our brand new AMBASSADORS program.
STAY UP TO DATE ON CURRENT EVENTS
Being a good advocate means understanding what’s happening around us. Keep up to date on current events to ensure you have all the information you need to act when the time is right. Not sure how to do that? Embolden PDC has you covered. We continuously update the community on current events and strive to ensure that the private dayhome community is well-informed. We also create news releases when something big has happened – like the one we released for today’s newly signed Alberta Child Care Agreement.
$10/DAY CHILD CARE FOR SOME
And so what we’ll likely see instead of $10/day child care for all – is $10/day child care for some. And while we will be able to add new child care spaces to the system in Alberta through this government funding – the need for unlicensed child care will remain long after $10/day child care is implemented in our province.
BECOME A MEMBER OF EMBOLDEN PDC
This one is arguably the most important. Here’s why. The private dayhome community lacks the visibility needed to be included in government policies and programs. Where are the unlicensed providers? What standards do they follow? Can we ensure safety and quality within the unlicensed sector? Embolden PDC can help solve all of these hang-up points and create the bridge needed between the unlicensed sector and the Alberta Government. Becoming a verified member of Embolden PDC is the best way to help us make progress as a legitimate organization of quality unlicensed providers. Because at the end of the day – we are needed in this province – so let’s show Alberta that we can do it right and that we deserve a seat at the table. Become a verified member by grabbing a Provider+ membership today.
MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD
If you’re a parent or provider who will not be supported through the proposed $10/day child care program in Canada, let your MLA know and be sure to copy the Minister of Children’s Services. This is a critical time for parents and providers to make their voices heard so that Children’s Services understands the uniqueness of our system in Alberta and parents and providers are not left behind.
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