The Government of Canada has been working closely with provinces and territories, including Alberta, to ensure all families have access to affordable and high quality child care. The COVID-19 pandemic has created new chal-lenges, including temporary closures and loss of critical revenue from placement fees, which have put the sector at risk.

“The availability of affordable, high-quality and flexible child care will be key to ensuring Canadian parents can return to work and our economy can recover from this crisis. The Government of Canada is committed to supporting the child care sector to ensure all Canadian families will have access to the quality child care they need.”
– The Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development

“We are pleased to see Albertans’ contributions coming back to our province through this agreement with the federal government. This funding will ensure safe, reliable child care continues to be available as it is a crucial part of Alberta’s economic recovery. We are providing child care and early learning programs this support throughout the fall so they can keep their centres safe for kids in their care.”
– The Honourable Rebecca Schulz, Minister of Children’s Services of Alberta

• This investment is in addition to the $1.2 billion over three years that was distributed to the provinces and territories, starting in 2017-18, to support early learning and child care and create up to 40,000 more affordable child care spaces.

• The Government of Canada is currently working with provinces and territories to finalize new bilateral agreements to ensure an uninterrupted flow of funding to Canada’s early learning and child care sector. These agreements will provide an additional $400 million in 2020–21.

• Alberta’s funding amount is based on the existing allocation formula used for Canada’s Early Learning and Child Care Bilateral Agreements with the provinces and territories.

• The key priorities to safely restart Canada’s economy are:

  • Testing, contact tracing, and data management
  • Health care system capacity
  • Vulnerable populations
  • Municipalities
  • Personal protective equipment for health and non-health workers
  • Child care for returning workers
  • Pan-Canadian sick leave

Associated links

• Multilateral Early Leaning and Child Care Framework
• Early Learning and Child Care Bilateral Agreements
• Priorities to safely restart Canada’s economy

For media enquiries, please contact:
Jessica Eritou
Office of the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Families, Children and Social Development
jessica.eritou@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca

Media Relations Office
Employment and Social Development Canada
819-994-5559
media@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca
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